Speed of Lyght
by J Linz
Summary: Tabitha Lyght is transformed into a mutant due to a military experiment gone wrong. X-over of Justice League Unlimited & various Marvel series. Rated M for language. I do not own DC, Marvel or Justice League characters. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
1. Enter Lyght

**Author's Note: This fanfic has plots loosely based on Spider-Man comics and movie, Iron Man 2 movie, The Batman cartoon series and Justice League Unlimited cartoon series.**

**Author's Note: The first four chapters deal with getting to know Tabitha Lyght: the crossovers are there; trust me!**

Speed of Lyght

Written by J Linz

An Army Reservist is transformed into a mutant thanks to a military experiment gone wrong.

Chapter One: Enter Lyght

Staff Sergeant Tabitha Nicole Lyght was never an ordinary individual. She always tried to be the best at everything that she did. She always tried to stick out in the crowd. From the time she was born to the present day, Tabitha was special.

She was born and raised in Tennessee with her parents and four siblings. Being the only girl and the middle child was somewhat rough for her; seeing that Tabitha always wanted to do what her two older brothers did. By the time Tabitha graduated high school, instead of going off to college like her brothers, she went straight into the military.

Tabitha was leader material from day one of boot camp; her squad leadership role continued into Advanced Individual Training, earning a promotion to Specialist after all her basic training. She was stationed close to home, being a Reservist, but moved out of her parents' home.

Tabitha wanted to make a career out of the military and exceeded in every task that was given to her. She was quickly promoted to Sergeant and sent to Drill Sergeant School. Tabitha served three months as a drill sergeant and three months working at her regular job as a supply clerk, on and off.

Three years later, Tabitha found herself as a staff sergeant, about to take on the job as a recruiter and warehouse supply instructor. Even though her accomplishments were unique, Tabitha kept a very simple schedule. Mondays through Thursdays from 6 AM to 6 PM, she drove cabs for the most popular cab company in the city. She wasn't an instructor or recruiter yet so she continued to report for her drill one weekend out of the month; her unit held their drills on the first weekend of the month. Other than that, her weekends were filled with rest mixed in with occasional partying!

However, today was a different day for Tabitha. It was the second weekend of the month and a Friday. Yet, Tabitha found herself in her BDUs and patiently waiting at the drive-thru of McDonald's. Her unit's commanding officer had called last night and told her of a very important meeting. As Tabitha grabbed her breakfast and zoomed off, she wondered if she was up for another promotion.

Fifteen minutes later, Tabitha parked her black Ford F150 right next to her best friend's gold Cadillac Escalade. Sergeant Tony Williams turned his stereo system down and smiled at the 5'8, light brown skin woman.

"What's up, 'ma'? Up for promotion, again?" he asked. Tabitha shrugged and joined Sgt. Williams in his SUV. The two had been best friends since their 7th grade year of junior high school.

"I don't know. I doubt it. I haven't been a staff for a year, yet!"

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me one bit! You know, you're the only reason why I'm still in the Army! You're so damn motivated, it isn't funny!" Tony commented and the two laughed. Tabitha finished her breakfast sandwich and offered Tony the other one. He shook his head.

"Tee, I finally found something that I enjoy doing. I can't help that. Look at my brothers. They're trying to live up to my parents' wishes and they're all miserable! I'm the only one in my family that's in the military and I'm happy!"

"Now, are you happy because you're doing what you want to do or are you happy because you're doing what your folks don't want you to do?"

"Ouch!" Tabitha said, trying to look hurt. Tony laughed.

"Sorry! I just don't want you hiding from anything. Remember our freshman year and your folks were overwhelmed that you became a cheerleader?"

"Don't remind me!"

"Well, everyone else thought that you were thrilled about it as well. But, you hated it. Whenever you feign happiness, you end up miserable, Tabby."

"Well, rest assured, this is different. Thanks for your concern, though." Tabitha added and winked. Tony smirked. An older man walked towards Tony's vehicle and the two jumped out to salute. He returned the salute.

"Sgt. Williams, Sgt. Lyght; we have formation in five minutes."

"Thank you, sir."

"Sir, what's the meeting all about?" Tabitha asked their commanding officer, Captain Warren Reed. He smiled at the staff sergeant.

"A bit anxious, Lyght?"

"Curious is more like it, sir."

"Don't worry; you're not getting promoted, again… yet! See you in formation, soldiers." the captain said and strolled off. The two sergeants looked at each other as they headed towards the front of the building.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know."

"Ah, but it satisfied the mouse!"

Their unit was a small but an important one. The group was mainly responsible for the numerous auto parts for the military vehicles that were transported through most of the states; if a unit in California did not have the part, the soldiers of QM 332 had it in their stock. The staff sergeant took pride in that, looking around the armory; she had grown to enjoy the smells of the auto parts mixed with the various motor oils that were used to clean them or the parts were covered with it. Tabitha had been the somewhat manager of her team of inspectors and had always made it a point to nag Tony about his group who were in charge of cleaning the parts.

Tony knew the look on his best friend's face and sighed as they all gathered into the small room that was used for their usual meetings.

"You're gonna bitch and moan again, aren't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Tabitha asked and noticed an unfamiliar machine in the middle of the room. It had reminded her of a dentist's chair except for the rectangular contraption that was standing beside it. She took notice that there were wires and tubes neatly placed in the chair and knew the all too unwanted, familiar sight of an IV; she loathed IVS and needles.

"Alright; so my soldiers' been slacking on cleaning! It's not like your guys volunteer to help."

"As a matter of fact, we've been busy as well, if you haven't noticed. Jones is on maternity leave; I had to assign someone to play clerk. George got transferred, Gomez is on terminal, Rogers and three others are getting deployed; we're running thin!"

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Tony agreed. He was about to voice his concern about the equipment in the middle of the room until Captain Reed strolled in along with an unfamiliar general and two medical assistants. The small group immediately snapped to attention. The general looked young for his rank despite his salt and pepper buzz cut. His features were sharp and rigid, not as if he had endured plenty of wars but as if his face had been sculpted. The general's skin was tanned to perfection and it seemed as though he towered over the small unit. Tabitha had always thought that their captain was a handsome man but years of military training was clearly sketched deep into his face.

"At ease." Captain Reed commanded and the soldiers followed orders diligently, "Soldiers, this is General Gary First. He is the leading command for the department of chemical warfare located out of Washington, D.C. Sir." Captain Reed gave the floor to the general. General First stood in front of the squad, nearly blocking their view of the two meds tending to the contraption behind him.

"Soldiers, I will make this speech short and simple. As you know, we are getting ready for war. I have been assigned a top-secret project that will turn any soldier into a pure weapon. It has already undergone experiments and the first set of soldiers will be deployed shortly to test out the project."

"Question, sir!" a private bellowed. Tabitha and Tony took notice that it was one of her own.

"Damnit, Reyes…" she silently sighed. Tony stifled a laugh as the general's eyes pierced through the private's face.

"Reyes, is it? Proceed, private."

"Were we hand-picked for this project, sir? Some soldiers have already been deployed from this unit, sir." Reyes pointed out. The general only nodded.

"Thank you, private; I was not made aware of that situation. Nonetheless, I have been told that this is best damn transportation unit in the Mid-South…"

"Hooah!" the majority of the soldiers, including Tabitha couldn't resist. The general gleamed at their show of motivation.

"And, that is exactly why you have been hand chosen as the next set to undergo the experiment. Private, who is your squad leader?"

"Staff Sergeant Lyght, sir!"

"Sergeant, front and center!"

"Sir; yes, sir!" Tabitha yelled. Although her heart was pounding, she diligently stood in front of the general and saluted him. He returned the salute and she stood at attention.

"Excellent procedure, sergeant. Gaddamn excellent. At ease. Lyght, huh?"

"Yes, sir!"

"What a coincidence; your name fits this project. How far you wanna go to serve your country, sergeant?" General First asked the woman. Not that far, Tabitha immediately admitted to herself. When she had joined the military, it didn't cross her mind that she may have to fight in a war or even in a conflict. She had been lucky so far.

"To the very end, sir!"

"Boy, if I wasn't married, I'd snatch you up!" he replied, which made the other soldiers snicker and Tabitha turn a shade of red. General First noticed, laughed a little and put his hand on her shoulder, "A joke, sergeant; no need to turn colors on me! Are you willing to be the first to volunteer for this project?"

"Sir; yes, sir!"

"Out-fucking-standing! I won't leave you soldiers in the dark, here; this experiment is called 'Operation Recharge'. They don't pay me to be a scientist so I will be the first to tell you that I have the slightest clue as far as the technicality of the procedure. All I know is that Sgt. Lyght will be strapped down to this chair, her vitals will be recorded at all times, these two meds will inject what has only been called a secret serum through the IV, and then Sgt. Lyght will be given a small jolt. That jolt will activate the serum and Sgt. Lyght will be twice as strong and twice as fast as the lot of us put together. Let's just put it this way; after that jolt, she would feel like playing defense for the Ravens a whole game, running back home and fucking her man until he pukes!" the general explained.

"… Damn!" Tony couldn't help but to express however Tabitha was still stuck on the idea of being given a jolt.

"The downside of it is that she would have to do it all in thirty minutes; the effects die out then. Sergeant, are you ready to do your country a favor?"

"Locked, cocked, and ready to rock, sir!"

"Take a good look at this sergeant, soldiers; she is about to make history. Give the meds a few minutes to set up and we'll get you recharged, soldier." General First said and left the room with Captain Reed. Tabitha let out a held in sigh and turned to her fellow soldiers who had gathered around her. She eyed Private Reyes as she approached him.

"Sergeant, are you nervous?"

"Reyes… I'm gonna kill you!"

"Sergeant, what did I do?"

"You and your big mouth! When this project is over, I'm assigning you to detail for the rest of your career!"

"Ha; she's only kidding, Reyes! Besides, how was you supposed to know that she would get volunteered?" Tony asked. Reyes shrugged but then smiled when he saw a hint of one forming on Tabitha's lips.

"So, I was supposed to lie to the general?"

"Yeah!"

"Right!" he said and everyone laughed. Tabitha went over to the two medical assistants and tried to make sense of the contraption they were fussing over. One looked at her with timid green eyes but smiled.

"Are you ready, Sergeant Lyght?" she asked. Tabitha sighed.

"I guess so."

"It's nothing, really. The serum does nothing by itself and it's only a small shock; you'll barely feel it." the med smiled.

"It's not the shock I'm really worried about… it's the damn needles!" she confirmed. The med smiled even wider. The general and the captain came back into the room as Tabitha sat down and the green-eyed assistant strapped her in the chair.

"Don't worry; if it'll make you feel better, I'll hold your hand." she whispered and winked; she had a feeling that the sergeant had a reputation to hold to.

General First smiled as he saw that the motivated sergeant was ready to undergo the project. He looked at the other soldiers in the room.

"After Sgt. Lyght undergoes the procedure, she will be assisted to another room and be held under twenty-four hour observation. She will experience the effects that we talked about within seconds of the jolt and they will last for only thirty minutes. Her vitals will be checked throughout those thirty minutes; Sgt. Lyght is in no way going into a dangerous situation. Ready?" the general looked at the medical assistants. The male checked the machine as the female gave him a thumbs up. The female held Tabitha's hand as the male inserted the IV in her arm. Tabitha winced only a bit, being careful not to show weakness in front of her unit but squeezed the assistant's hand fiercely.

"I have inserted the IV and will now administer the serum." the male medic announced. He held up a small syringe with pink-tinted liquid inside. He injected the serum inside the IV bag and began the drip into Tabitha's arm, "As soon as the drip is complete, my assistant will administer the small electrical shock." he continued. It only took a few moments for the serum to drain out of the bag but Tabitha noticed that the assistants looked a bit concerned while they fiddled with the contraption. She looked at the two.

"Everything okay?" she silently asked. The woman turned and gave her a smile.

"Just a minor misreading; it was probably jammed transporting it. Nothing we can't fix. Okay, readings are normal, now. Vitals are normal and steady."

"Okay. Sgt. Lyght, we will now give you two doses of electrical shocks. They'll feel like small pinches, nothing more." the male stated. Tabitha nodded as they placed two electrodes on her forearm. The woman medic pressed a button on the machine and Tabitha had to admit that they were right; she felt nothing but a small pinch of a jolt.

But, then it happened unexpectedly. The machine that was giving out the jolts started to grind and whir. Smoke appeared and before the medics could remove the pads from Tabitha's arm, it released a huge voltage that surged through Tabitha's body.

"Tabby!" Tony tried to get to his best friend but was held back by another soldier.

"Get the soldiers out of here!" General First told Captain Reed. He led his unit out of the room as the assistants attempted to get the machine to stop its assault on the sergeant. By the time the machine broke down completely, the room was filled with smoke and the smell of burnt flesh.

"Oh, my God; sir, the sergeant!"

"Be careful; don't touch her!" the general ordered. He went over to Tabitha, who lay limp in the chair. He carefully touched her, and when he was not electrocuted, let out a small sigh.

"Sir, we've got to administer…"

"Hurry up and dispose of the body." he said calmly. The green-eyed woman looked at the general in horror.

"General, we can attempt to save her…"

"Did you not hear me? If she gets revived, this experiment is ruined. Check her vitals and dump the body." he said sternly and turned to leave. The woman huffed.

"I… I'm sorry, Cheryl; I need this job…" the man said as he undid Tabitha's straps.


	2. A Stroke of Luck

Chapter Two: A Stroke of Luck

Flashbacks of a life screamed through: a birthday party, a graduation scene, an all-nighter that almost went wrong; not in any particular order. Then, there was darkness. A void with no light, no sound. It was the most terrifying thing anyone could go through. And, just when the mind was about to scream, a terrifying and painful zap hit and coursed throughout the body. It was enough for Tabitha to yell out in pain. She let the pain dissipate before she came to her senses. Noises and smells, finally; not the best of smells but it was a small relief that she was able to do so now. Tabitha slowly opened her eyes, vision blurred but she could tell that it was raining: she was also finally able to feel.

For some reason, the first thing that came to mind was trying to remember who she was. Name; Tabitha Nicole Lyght. Born and raised in Tennessee. Occupation: Army staff sergeant. Date…

Tabitha rubbed her eyes and moaned; the effects of whatever had struck her still coursed through her body. What day was it? What happened? And, more importantly; where was she?

A jolt, Tabitha thought repeatedly. Her eyes finally focused and she realized in disgust that she was in an alley. She slowly started to remember things as she tried to figure out why her body felt so weird. An experiment; some type of liquid inside of her then a jolt to her body. Terrified, green eyes and a chauvinist general. She recalled smoke from some type of machine and the shock of something that felt like it ripped her in half.

Did she die? Why did she wake up in an alley? Tabitha tried to stand but her legs would not cooperate. She scooted herself to the side of the wall and propped herself up on a dumpster. She did die, she realized. And that damned general dumped her in that alley to cover up her death; she knew it was all his idea: Tony wouldn't allow anything like this to happen to her if he had known.

In anger, she wondered what the general had told the others of her unit. She could imagine his tale of lies he would give to them; maybe telling them that she was fine, that the procedure was a success and that the staff sergeant was being deployed overseas to test out the experiment. It was a perfect lie; no one would ever think to question it. The experiment was even deemed top secret.

Tabitha had to figure out where she was and it was upsetting her that she was still feeling the effects of electricity coursing through her veins. She had never been electrocuted before and wondered how long the feeling would last. She willed herself to stand, pulling herself up by the dumpster: she had to get out of that alley.

Her legs became jelly, again, and she fell back down. Maybe she simply just had to calm down and then she would be able to walk. A noise startled her but she soon saw that it was a bum who was approaching her. Tabitha had never encountered a homeless person before and figured that they were just like how they had been portrayed in movies: drunk, smelly and incoherent, possibly delusional.

But, the homeless man was sympathetic. She could see his eyes beyond the filth, a filth that came with living in the alley; they were as brown and gentle as her own were. He smiled and held his grimy hand out to help her.

"I've been waiting on you to wake up. Could've passed for a dead woman." his southern accent had her hoping that she was still in the city.

"How long I've been out?" the gruffness of her voice sounded like she had just came out of a deep sleep. The man continued to smile and came closer to help Tabitha at least stand up.

"Oh, 'bout a day or two. Thought you were an old woman, at first…" he started to mention but the man had placed his hand on her shoulder. And, then she had felt it; the uncomfortable feeling that had been making its way throughout her body seemed to have erupted out through her fingertips as the man grabbed her hand. She watched in disbelief as the man who was trying to help her had been engulfed in an electrical surge and fell dead to the ground, still convulsing from the bolt… the bolt that seemed to had come from Tabitha's fingers. The electric feeling that had made her immobile calmed down a bit but the feeling was still there and, in shock, Tabitha crawled into a corner deeper into the alley. She continued to watch as the surge that killed the man disintegrated and the awful smell of burnt flesh filled the air. Confused and frightened, Tabitha curled up into a ball and cried.

The doctor was not a real doctor but she had enjoyed the title very much. She was more of a professor and she felt that she was a very good one. Not as good as her best friend but she learned to manage. But, she was all the same flattered that her friend informed her of the phenomenon that was happening at the corner of South Ave and Willingham Blvd. He knew that she would find time out of her busy schedule to investigate.

Dr. Jamila Lindsey was born and raised in Tennessee and after attending Duke University then Columbia University, she finally returned home to become a physics professor at the local community college. It was not too much different from the career path that Dr. Lindsey wanted to pursue ever since the age of twelve: she had always wanted to become a meteorologist.

Jamila always had a thing for weather, mainly the bad part of it. While in North Carolina, she had witnessed numerous hurricanes and while she knew that they were dangerous, she was also fascinated with them. She took part time work running with a small storm chasing team, which nearly satisfied her interest in tornadoes as well. She was simply dubbed "The Storm Lover".

The 5'5 professor dismissed her class early this evening; she had investigating to do. She wanted to make quick work of her investigation so not to worry her husband. But, according to her best friend, Dr. Wyatt Rivera, there had been a series of unexplained deaths in that alley. All of the bodies found looked as if they had been electrocuted. Any regular citizen would think that maybe they were unlucky victims of lightning strikes but as Jamila made her way to the site, she knew better. She was a devout follower of the weather; there had been no lightning storms in weeks. The police had not ruled out that the victims may have been random targets for a bunch of bullying kids but Jamila would not buy that, either. She had a gut feeling that something phenomenal was indeed happening in that alley and she was determined to find out.

Jamila parked her vehicle in the closest parking garage and made her way to the alley. Because of the sudden deaths, no one even bothered to walk on that side of the street but Jamila entered the alley as quickly and quietly as possible. As soon as she did, she smelt the stench of overflowed sewage, garbage and burnt flesh; she didn't know which was worse. But something stirring in one of the deep, dark crevices grabbed her attention over the smell. It was foolish, she knew, but Jamila carefully went toward the rustling. When she got in closer range, she noticed that it was an old woman curled up in a ball. Her white hair, the color of pure snow stood out in her dark and dank surroundings.

"Hey… you okay?" she inched closer to the old woman. But, when she jerked her head up, Jamila saw first-hand that it was no old woman! The white-haired girl looked no older than eighteen, even with her face covered with the filth that covered the alley. She had been crying, Jamila could tell, and wondered if she had witnessed any of the deaths. Another thing that crossed the professor's mind was why… and how did she dye her hair so perfectly white!

"No! Don't touch me! Stay away!" she cried. Her accent was as thick as the professor's and Jamila knew that the frantic girl was from around the same area. Jamila could also tell that she was a beautiful girl, once; her eyes were nice and oval, being the beautiful light brown she had wanted her own chestnut eyes to be. Her face was round like an innocent playful child's and she had a nice peanut butter complexion. But, now her eyes danced with fear and her skin marred with dirt.

"I'm just trying to help you. Let me…"

"I don't wanna shock you, too!" she yelled, doing her best to inch away from Jamila. Jamila stretched her hand out, anyway but the girl let out a terrifying scream and swatted at it. And, Jamila knew that if she had told anyone what she had seen, no one would believe her. As the girl swatted, a surge of lightning burst through her fingers, narrowly missing the professor as she jumped out of the way.

"Holy shit! What are you?" Jamila managed but it only made the girl sob.

"Go away; please?" she begged and continued to cry. As scary as it was, Jamila had other things in mind than just walking away.

"I came here to help. Let me help you… please?" it was Jamila's turn to beg. The girl didn't stop crying but still looked up at the professor.

"No one can help me! If you touch me, you'll get fried! What can you do?"

"I can help. Trust me. I teach physics… and I know a thing or two about lightning. Can you stand?" Jamila waited for an answer. The girl finally stopped her frantic crying and looked at Jamila. She slowly stood up and Jamila noticed that she had on standard military clothing; desert camouflaged pants, a plain brown shirt and tan combat boots. Whoever this mutant was, she was military personnel, "What's your name?"

"T… Tabitha."

"Tabitha… did you kill those people?"

"I didn't mean to! I… I don't know…"

"It's okay. I understand. We got to get you out this alley. I can tell you one thing, already; whatever you got, it's going by emotions. You gotta calm down, okay?"

"I'm so confused. What happened to me?" Tabitha panicked. Jamila stepped back as soon as she saw the start of electricity forming at the girl's fingertips.

"That's what we're going to find out. But, you're gonna have to calm down if you want to leave this alley. Think of it this way; the good ol' doc is gonna take care of you! Take deep breaths, Tabitha, and only think about putting one foot in front of the other." Jamila tried to explain. Tabitha took deep breaths and was actually relieved; the woman was a doctor. For the first time in a month, Tabitha's mind was clear as she slowly made her way towards the doctor.

"There you go; you're doing great! Now, Tabitha, I'm going to lay my hand on you; don't panic…" Jamila warned the girl when she saw her eyes widen, "Just keep doing what you're doing. I know that you won't hurt me." Jamila tried to convince, maybe more to herself than to Tabitha. She slowly put her hand on Tabitha's shoulder and was grateful that she wasn't electrocuted. She smiled at Tabitha.

"Let's get you out of this alley."

Tabitha said nothing to the doctor as they drove to her home. She was glad that she was going to the woman's house and not some hospital; the very thought of being kept like an experimental rat would drive her mad. She was actually looking forward to a nice, warm meal and a soft bed to sleep in. A quick sniff and Tabitha was also looking forward to a long hot bath.

Tabitha slightly looked out of the window as the sun started to set and realized that she had no idea where she was. As she took a quick look in the side mirror, she told herself that she wouldn't freak out about her hair being white but she did want to do something about cleaning herself up. Even still, Tabitha wanted to know where she was. She turned to the doctor to ask but decided against it for the moment. The doctor looked calm, despite having to deal with Tabitha's odor. Tabitha liked her skin tone, which was like an antique copper. Her arms were as toned as hers, showing off a somewhat faded tattoo of two roses shaped into a heart on her bicep. Of course, Tabitha thought, a man's name was tattooed underneath the heart and assuming how the doctor had chosen to wear a cotton top with sleeves that barely covered her shoulders, Tabitha knew that he was the current boyfriend. Husband, she corrected herself as she noticed the silver wedding bands.

Ten minutes passed and Jamila turned into a newly developed neighborhood. The houses varied in shape and style, some two stories, some not. Jamila parked her Mercury Mariner behind a gold Pontiac Grand Am. The yard was neatly trimmed as were the bushes that surrounded the huge porch. The house had a town home appeal to it, with red brick and peach sidings. Two flags, looking as if they were greeting people to the front door, were silently swaying in the dusk wind: US Marine Corps on the right, University of Memphis on the left. Tabitha stopped dead in her tracks; was she in Memphis? That was almost 300 miles away from her home; how did she end up there?

Tabitha followed the doctor, anyway, inside the house and her ears were introduced to shrill laughter; children. Thumps and thuds could be heard all throughout the house and a man's desperate voice calling out to "ring the damn bell".

Jamila looked back apologetically to Tabitha.

"It's Friday; 'Smackdown' is about to come on. This is how we get ready!" she smiled. Before Tabitha could ask what 'Smackdown' was, more thumping was heard coming towards them.

"Momma's home!" a little girl's voice sang out and three hyper children appeared; two boys and a girl. They bombarded their mother, nearly knocking her off her feet and Tabitha couldn't help smiling at the sight. Triplets, she could tell. All three were thin, one boy with jet black braids, the other with dirt brown braids and the girl with off black/reddish ponytails. The boys were almost spitting images of their mother, all the way down to her copper complexion while the girl was a beautiful mahogany and when a man walked into the scene, Tabitha saw that someone would have to be blind not to know who she favored.

The man smiled at first at the scene of his children tackling their mother to the floor but cleared his throat as he looked at Tabitha. Any other time, Tabitha would have laughed at the fact that the husband and wife were nearly the same height, being around 5'5. But, his dark eyes made it known that she was probably not welcomed in their home, especially how she looked… and smelled.

"Who's this, mommy?" one of the boys asked, looking up at Tabitha. The other two followed suit and Jamila stood up.

"This is Tabitha. Tabitha, this is my family. That's my husband, Albert and these three are our babies…"

"Hey!"

"We're **not **babies!" the girl stated for her brothers. Jamila laughed and hugged all three of them.

"Fine! These two young men are Albert…"

"A.C., momma; she's gonna get confused!" A.C. corrected her. Jamila huffed.

"You sure are a smart one, today! A.C. and Jamil. And, this young lady is Solonia. Guys, Tabitha's gonna be staying with us for a while." Jamila finished but regretted her last sentence. Her children's eyes lit up and they started to approach Tabitha.

"Really? She's gonna watch wrestlin' with us?"

"Who's your favorite cuz if you say Batista then that's a smart choice, right dad?"

"You must be as old as granny and paw-paw cuz your hair is whiiite…."

"Hey! That ain't nice!" Albert snapped at Jamil. Jamila intercepted her children and pushed them through the hallway.

"Alright, guys; that's enough! She will watch wrestling with us if you three behave. Is everyone's room clean?"

"Aw, ma…."

"Don't 'aw, ma' me! You know the rule; if you wanna watch Batista, you gotta clean your room! Now, march; all three of you!" Jamila ordered. Even while going upstairs, Tabitha could hear the unpleasant groans. Jamila walked back into the hallway in time to see her husband reaching his hand out for Tabitha to shake. She ran towards the two and immediately grabbed Tabitha, forgetting about the danger of doing so.

"No! Uh… she needs a bath!"

"Baby…"

"I'll explain later, after dinner. Just… make sure they clean their rooms!" Jamila hurried Tabitha upstairs.

Tabitha had survived her long awaited bath and found herself enjoying being in the presence of hyper children watching and imitating their favorite wrestlers. She even laughed as Jamila repeatedly told the children to eat while they had dinner afterwards but they were curious about the white-haired stranger and wanted her undivided attention. As soon as their plates were empty, however, their father took them upstairs and got them ready for bed. Jamila excused herself and joined her husband, and Tabitha could imagine the two kissing each of them goodnight, turning on a night light and being asked fifty million questions before closing their doors! The very thought of being tucked into a nice, soft bed made Tabitha nod off while she sat on the just as soft and comfortable couch.

"You've had a long day, yourself. Let me show you where you'll be sleeping." Jamila's voice woke her up. Tabitha yawned, stretched and smiled at her.

"Sorry."

"No worries. I understand." she said. Tabitha followed her upstairs and immediately saw the two rooms that were meant for the children: each door had been customized to their likings. Jamila opened the door next to Solonia's room and Tabitha wanted to just hop in the bed!

"This can be your room for right now. Get some sleep; we'll talk in the morning."

"Thank you… for everything." it was actually the first thing Tabitha had said since before getting into Jamila's car. Jamila only shrugged.

"No problem. Good night." Jamila said but knew that Tabitha probably didn't hear her; she had already plopped on the bed.

The dream had been nice, at first. A picnic at the beach. The triplets were building small sand castles and then would body slam each other into them. The doctor and her husband were sitting beside her, watching their children and eating. Tony was, well, being Tony; talking about random things, pausing every few seconds to ogle at a bikini-clad woman. She ate a sandwich, debating on taking a quick dip into the ocean. But, then she remembered that she couldn't swim and that was when the nightmare began. The cloudless sky became blood red with very dark clouds and the calm waves were now as violent as if a hurricane was making its presence known. Everyone else had run for shelter but Tabitha couldn't move. She could only watch as the waves started to come closer and closer to her, almost promising that they will take her life. She fought to move but with no luck. She turned to call for help but no one was in sight, anymore. Lightning filled the air every time she tried to make her feet move. Before she knew it, the waves had engulfed her and were hitting her as hard as fists. She opened her mouth to scream but was silenced by water going into her mouth and filling her lungs. She coughed ceaselessly until her lungs were clear. Then, she screamed. She screamed for help, she screamed for Tony, she screamed at the waves until she could finally feel herself move. And, then she jumped.

Her eyes popped open and she was in the dark. Tabitha blinked a few times and saw the shadows in the room. She took a deep breath and smelled something burnt. Tabitha's hands were hot, close to burning and she immediately got out of bed. She turned the light on and saw that where she had been laying was outlined in semi-seared sheets. The electricity that flowed through her body calmed down but Tabitha was still shaking. She worried about what Jamila would say about her ruining her sheets and Tabitha felt the surge trying to come out of her fingertips. Calm down, just calm down, she told herself repeatedly. Tabitha closed her eyes and tried to breathe deeply, trying to clear her thoughts. The surge calmed down, again and Tabitha blew out a shaky sigh. She needed to splash some cold water on herself, hunt down the linen closet and change the sheets, herself. Tabitha slowly walked out the room and was heading to the bathroom. With it being right next to the master bedroom, Tabitha heard Jamila and Albert talking.

"So, who is that?"

"Her name's Tabitha. I… I found her in the alley."

"What the fuck, Jamila?" Albert almost yelled. Tabitha made a mental note that he pronounced her name differently than how Jamila did and would ask her about it later, "You brought a bum here? Why were you in an alley in the first place?"

"We were in the lounge and Wyatt starting yakking at the mouth about how these bums were being found electrocuted in the alley. I tried to talk him into going with me but you know how chicken shit he is!" Jamila said and it was the first time since coming into the house that Tabitha heard Albert laugh, even if it was a small one.

"So, you went to check it out. Without calling me. You could've gotten hurt…"

"Yeah… I almost did! Tabitha… is special. She… was the one who had killed the folks…"

"And… you bring that muthafucker into our own home? Around our kids?"

"Would you listen? Don't wake up the babies! They were all accidents. Tabitha has powers!" Jamila mentioned. Tabitha could imagine the look Albert was giving his wife. She wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't believe her; had she not seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed it, herself!

"Powers? What type of powers?"

"I know that you think I'm crazy right now but I know what I saw. The first time I tried to touch her, the shit shot out her hand! If I hadn't ducked, I would've been fried! She doesn't have any control over it."

"I'm gonna believe you because this ain't something you would lie about. But… how did she get that way?"

"… I don't know. She doesn't really know. I mean, she's still in shock so I'm guessing that whatever happened to her just happened to her, you know? Baby… she shot out lightning. I **know **I can help her and I promised her that I will."

"Lightning, huh? Right up your alley. I said that I believe you but… I truly won't believe it until I see it."

"We'll drop the kids over daddy's tomorrow, then."


	3. ActionReaction

Chapter Three: For Every Action, There's A Reaction

Tabitha didn't dream after going back to sleep, to her surprise. She had awakened to find the sun in her eyes and the sheets not charred. She also felt rejuvenated; it was the first time in a month that she had gotten a decent night's sleep. She didn't have to worry about someone touching her in the middle of the night or having insects and rats scurrying over her as she tried to get comfortable. She had a bed, now; a big, nice, soft one, with down pillows and thick covers. She let her eyes adjust by themselves and smiled as she saw what was at the foot of the bed: a TV. Grant it, last night was indeed fun, watching the likes of Batista and The Undertaker. But, she needed to know what had been going on since she had been dumped in that alley… and where exactly she was at.

Tabitha located the remote on the nightstand and turned the TV on. She wasn't surprised to see cartoon characters fill up the screen. She flipped channels until she came to a local channel. Her fears were confirmed; she was indeed in Memphis. She had been in that alley for almost exactly a month after going through that experiment. Nothing of importance had happened since she last saw a news report. There was a new NBA champion, but she really didn't follow basketball that much to even care.

Tabitha had relaxed and was watching a movie when there was a knock on her door. She sat up as Jamila and Albert opened the door and smiled at her. Jamila had on a black tank top and Tabitha couldn't help but to notice that she was well endowed, looking at a Gemini symbol smartly tattooed on her left breast. Although it was summer, Jamila was wearing black jeans that fit her snugly. Tabitha had to admit that she was somewhat jealous; she had curves but her height and weight made them almost non-existent.

Jamila's husband was wearing a simple orange t-shirt that showed a hint of his beer gut with black starched knee-length jeans. His jet-black hair was cut short and his diamond-studded earrings shone brightly in the sunlight.

"Was wondering if you were up. Hungry?"

"Yeah. I, um, kinda messed up your sheets…" Tabitha admitted. Albert looked at her funny but Jamila waved her hand.

"No worries. We got 'em from Wal-Mart: we can go get some more. The kids are asking for you." Jamila added with a smile. Tabitha managed a smile. Before she could respond, the triplets pushed their parents out of the way and jumped in the bed with Tabitha. Jamila noticeably panicked but after the nightmare, Tabitha was learning to calm down and accept being touched.

The three were still in their pajamas but they had freshly brushed teeth, as Tabitha smelt the combination of grape, strawberry and citrus.

"Miss Tabitha, you gonna eat with us?" Jamil asked. She could tell that his father probably talked to the boy about his manners but he constantly stared at her white hair.

"Sure. You cooking?" she asked and it sent the children in an uproar of laughter.

"He can't cook!" Solonia said. Her hair was wrapped in a satin scarf.

"Well, he asked. Figured he was cooking!" she said and winked at the girl. Albert gathered his children.

"Finish washing up, guys or Miss Tabitha won't eat with us…," he warned and they bolted out the door before he could stop them.

After a nice breakfast and playing with the triplets, the Lindsey parents took their children to spend the rest of the day with their grandparents. When they came back, Tabitha was bathed and dressed in a t-shirt that was a size too big for her and Marine Corps PT sweats. Jamila and Albert found her in the living room watching an entertainment channel.

"I guess you need to talk to me."

"That would help. You know why you were in the alley?" Albert asked.

"Kinda. I'm in the Army and we were going to go through this experiment called… recharge or something like that."

"I've heard of that. 'Operation Recharge'. Didn't get all the details of it." Albert remembered, sitting down.

"Well, it's something about this secret serum injected into a soldier and then you're given an electrical shock to boost it. Supposed to pump your adrenaline to the point where we wouldn't need weapons in war."

"Shit…" Jamila said for Albert.

"Yeah, it sounded like hot shit on paper! Well, I got volunteered to go through it first. Everything's still kinda vague. There was a machine that gave out the shocks but… something happened; it malfunctioned. I remember seeing smoke and I just got zapped. Next thing I know, I'm in that alley."

"Wow. My wife said that you're… special."

"I think it's better if we went out in the backyard." Jamila suggested and the three went through the sliding door that led to their backyard. Jamila put a gentle hand on Tabitha's shoulder, "You know, I wouldn't ask…"

"I understand. He has doubts. If someone would've told me all this two months ago, I would've had them, myself. So… how do I turn this thing on?" she asked and Jamila laughed.

"I… don't know yet. If you let me, I'll run some tests on you, after I do some research. I guess… well, you were charging up while you were upset. Think of something that upsets you." she suggested. Tabitha nodded and immediately thought about how she came to be. That bastard general: when I find him I'm gonna shock the hell outta him, Tabitha thought angrily. Why didn't he at least try to revive her? No, he dumps her halfway across the state with no ID, no anything. Couldn't even be decent enough to dump her in the same town so that her parents could claim the body! For all she knew, her family probably thinks she's halfway to Iraq right now. For all her career, Tabitha never knew that the army would betray her the way that they did.

The thoughts were beating her head up, giving her the start of a headache. However, she felt the flow of electricity through her veins with every upsetting thought. She opened her eyes and saw waves and waves of electricity glowing over her. No one was in her path and the energy released itself towards the fence in the backyard, making the wood explode on contact. Albert could only look in awe.

"I… I believe you. I will never doubt you, again!"

Days turned into months and Tabitha did indeed become sort of a lab rat. She didn't mind it at all, though; through all the tests that Dr. Lindsey put her through, she was able to give Tabitha more and more information about her new powers. In addition, Dr. Lindsey was an expert on lightning properties; in return for being a test subject, Dr. Lindsey taught Tabitha everything she knew about lightning. Tabitha learned how to fully control her lightning abilities in under a month, to the point where she didn't have to think about calming down before anyone could touch her and vice versa. In under a year, Tabitha was so in control of her powers that she could throw out electricity at will.

Nevertheless, those powers made her a freak: a mutant. What good was Tabitha with those abilities? Sure, she could jump start a broken car by simply touching it but it would only draw attention to her; unwanted attention at that. As Tabitha would kick back and watch the Lindsey family go about their normal life, she had yearned to be a part of one, once again.

It was the start of some good news when Dr. Lindsey ran into the house, asking for Tabitha. She found her in the kitchen fiddling with her powers. She almost slammed her books down.

"Tabby, be careful! My babies adore you; I don't want them to be afraid of you!" she half scolded. Tabitha soon felt like one of Jamila's kids and slightly looked down.

"Sorry." she mumbled. Jamila sighed and just studied Tabitha's hair. They had tried to dye it so that she could at least walk the streets without drawing attention but no chemicals would hold in her hair. She was reminded of her findings and smiled a little.

"No; no worries. Here I am, yelling at you like you're one of my kids! Okay; I got yelled at but it was worth it; I did some more research after looking at the sample you gave me last week. Remember how we've tried to dye your hair?"

"Doc, you're gonna depress me…" Tabitha remembered. Her hair could grow; it was now shoulder length and thick as she took a strand and twisted it around her finger. It just stayed that snow-white color.

"My bad. But… I found out why your hair is white. It's a small theory but I think that the first jolt you received killed you. When you got shocked, it killed you, of course; how you described that machine, no one would've survived that. But, you… well, I won't try to confuse you with technical terms…"

"Thank you…" Tabitha mumbled. She had been okay in school but science was beyond her.

"Think of it as you being a car battery. When you got shocked the first time, you became a dead car battery. There was a thunderstorm about a month before I found you; I think you got struck again and were brought back to life. It could've happened at either time, I'm not sure but the voltage that the two strikes gave out could've been the same. When the lightning struck, its voltage was so high, so intense… it stripped your hair of all its pigments. You have no pigment in your hair to even hold any type of chemical, whatsoever."

"So… I gotta wear a wig if I wanna go out in public?"

"It's either that or wear a head wrap or something. You… could cut it all off but it'll only grow back white."

"Yeah; screw that! And, the wig is definitely out!"

"Figured much!" Jamila got up from the kitchen table and fixed herself a glass of orange juice; she had so much to report, "But, that's not the most important thing. The serum that was injected into you has a certain component that is activated when hit with electricity. Too little and it does nothing. Too much... well, I don't think anyone ever thought about what would happen. I figured it out. This element is so new, so advanced, that when you got hit with all that voltage, it sprouted into something amazing!"

"My powers…"

"No. Well, yeah but something even more amazing: a DNA strand. I wasn't grasping it, at first. It wasn't adding up and I was getting frustrated. I thought that it had something to do with your brain but you have no brain abnormalities. Then, Wyatt pointed it out to me today. I had it out and he asked why this subject has two strands of DNA."

"Two DNA strands?"

"Well, you have your normal DNA strand and then your mutant strand. I missed it because one, I'm not an expert in DNA and two; it has a totally different outline than regular DNA. Now… that was the good news. The bad news is…. we need one more sample."

"Doc! Really?"

"I'm sorry, Tabs; the sample I ran the recent test on is old. Wyatt's gonna help me but we need a current sample to check the status of the mutant strand. We don't want it to take something over that's vital. Wyatt's doing research now on if something like that was to happen."

"So, what would happen if that strand was to mix with something else in me?"

"We don't know, yet. We can go to the lab and get things done now, if you want."

"As much as I **don't **want to… let's go."

"Great! Tabs, you just don't know how excited I am about this! If we could get a hold of that secret serum, do you know what we could do?"

"Make more people like me?" Tabitha realized. Jamila stopped at her doorway and looked at her.

"No. It's revolutionary but if it's gonna be used to make human weapons of mass destruction then I would want to see it destroyed before anything. If people like me and Wyatt can do some modifications to it… it could make stem cell research obsolete! See you in a bit, babe!" Jamila quickly kissed her husband and climbed into her Mariner. Albert looked at Tabitha.

"A breakthrough?"

"Yeah. I swear; she's more scientist than professor!" Tabitha sighed and climbed in the SUV.

"Amazing… so, this is the real deal?" Wyatt asked while still looking at Tabitha's sample under the microscope. Jamila nodded enthusiastically.

Tabitha was expecting to see a pasty-faced man with thick glasses and adult acne but was almost overwhelmed when she first gazed into the green, sultry eyes of Dr. Wyatt Rivera. His skin was bronzed to perfection and muscles seemed to bulge out of his cotton t-shirt. He looked awkward leaning his 6'6 frame low enough to look through the microscope but he didn't complain.

"So, he's just a 'friend', huh?" Tabitha mumbled and Jamila gave her a surprisingly sharp nudge. Wyatt finally turned around and looked at the women.

"This… is amazing. You know that this only happens on the 'SyFy' channel, right? Only in the movies, ladies. Only in the movies. Sorry; so, I did some research and after looking at this fresh sample, I kinda have some bad news."

"'Kinda'? Either you do or you don't."

"It's a bit conflicting, Mila! This mutant strand is trying to fuse with you, permanently. Nothing serious except these powers that you have… will be yours forever. We don't know the time limit but I can come up with something that can reverse it before it fuses altogether. It's growing very slowly, according to the date of the last sample: I give it two years the least. Looks like a simple antibiotic…" Wyatt started to mumble and went to his workstation.

"So, if I do nothing, I'll be like this forever. But, if I give you the go ahead…"

"You'll be back to normal. It's your call, Tabitha."

"It's a no-brainer; I wanna be normal, again. Will my hair turn back to normal?"

"Afraid not; it's been totally stripped. But, with the mutant strand gone, you'll be able to dye it to whatever color you want." Wyatt answered and Tabitha smiled, "If you ask me, I kinda like it this color. It suits your face." he finished and gently caressed a strand of Tabitha's hair.

"No one asked you, Wyatt now stop molesting her! So, when can we do this?"

"Do what? Are you two doing another experiment?" a guy walked in the lab. Wyatt turned back to the microscope as Jamila pretended to look through some papers on the nearest desk, Tabitha could tell.

"Yes, Sean. I suppose you would want to join in?" Wyatt, now with a more professional tone asked without bothering to look up from the microscope. The guy pushed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose and smiled a little. His attention then went towards the white-haired babe and his smile grew.

"You know me too well, Professor! A new student, huh? You're a little late for the semester…"

"Oh! Um… well…" Tabitha tried but Jamila placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Sean, this is my niece. She's visiting from North Carolina." Jamila stated without missing a beat. Tabitha saw the slight glance she had given Wyatt when he had decided that he had to do something else. He walked back over to his workstation and tried to work from there.

"Nice hair. Do all the beautiful women wear their hair that color in North Carolina?" Sean asked Tabitha. He had approached her and in the back of her mind, Tabitha wanted to give him a small jolt just to get him to back off; she could tell that he was the least favorite student of Jamila's and Wyatt's and he was really creeping her out the way he stared at her.

Before she could get charged up, Jamila abruptly stood between the two of them.

"Sean, may I remind you that you're not allowed in this lab after school hours. What is it that you want?" she snapped. Sean cleared his throat and put his attention to Jamila.

"Extra credit, Professor Linz."

"I'm not handing out extra credit at this time. If you would've paid attention in class as much as you're paying attention to my niece right now, you wouldn't need any extra credit. And I don't believe that Professor Rivera can help you out…"

"What about this experiment? If I can help…"

"Sorry, Sean but this experiment isn't part of the school curriculum. This experiment is petty, anyway. You see, Professor's poor niece is suffering from a pigment disorder. We're just using some simple solutions to help her out."

"That's it? No DNA testing or any applied physics?"

"Afraid not. Now, if you don't mind, we've got some work to do here. Good evening, Sean." Wyatt said and went back to his books. Sean gave Jamila a desperate look but she had joined Wyatt at his workstation.

"Tabitha, could you be a dear and show Sean out?" Jamila asked. Tabitha put on her fakest smile and led Sean out of the lab. He stared at her before she closed the door.

"I don't care about your disorder, you sure are beautiful!"

"No, honey; I'm electric!" Tabitha smiled and lightly shoved him out. While doing so, she kept her word and gave him the slightest jolt. Sean jumped and couldn't help but to smile.

"You sure are!" he said and headed out of the building. Before he could make his way to the parking lot, Sean was pulled to the side and slammed against another building before he could blink. He was about to scream until the guy's hand covered his mouth.

"Sshh. I won't hurt you. You have some information that I want." the man hissed. He slowly let his hand down but kept Sean pinned to the building, "That white-haired girl. Know her?"

"N-n-n-n-n-not really. She's from North Carolina. She, she, she, she's the professor's niece."

"Niece, huh? Interesting. Did you get her name?" the guy gripped harder around Sean's throat. He wheezed a little.

"Tab-itha." he managed. The guy smiled.

"Very nice. And, what were the professors doing with her?"

"I… can't… breathe…" Sean panicked and the guy loosened his grip. Sean coughed for air, "An experiment. Something about her hair. She has a pigment disorder."

"Hmm. Who's doing this experiment?"

"I think Professor Rivera."

"That's a good boy. I thank you for your information. Too bad you won't see what I'm gonna do to your teachers!"

"Wha…" Sean started but felt like his insides had been split in half. The guy had given Sean so much of a jolt that it left him burnt and still smoking as he dropped him on the ground.


	4. Moving On

Chapter Four: Moving On

Jamila didn't know what to tell her kids but she figured that whatever she would tell them, the outcome would be the same. They were going to be sad about the fact that Tabitha had to leave. However, Jamila would have to promise them that she would come back to visit or they would take the time to go out and visit her.

Jamila had to admit that she was going to be sad as well; she had gotten used to Tabitha being around. Nevertheless, it had been a year since she had seen her family and friends; the procedure that Wyatt was going to perform would give Tabitha the opportunity to be reunited with them. It would also let Tabitha get some answers from the Army and maybe they would track down the low-life general who dumped her body in Memphis. Jamila wanted to see justice served as badly as Tabitha did.

However, she pushed that thought aside as her children set the table and she pulled the garlic bread out of the oven. It did seem as if Tabitha had become one of her kids; she had fixed them all their favorite meal: chicken, shrimp and broccoli Alfredo.

The smell of garlic bread made Tabitha come out of her room and go downstairs. The children were neatly dressed, with the boys wearing polo shirts and slacks while Solonia had on a very nice pastel green dress with matching bows in her hair. They sat diligently at the table and were all smiles for Tabitha.

"Special occasion?"

"Momma said for us to dress nicely." Solonia said. Tabitha had grown to know each child's personality… and was saddened that she would miss them the most. Solonia was the voice of the three; if an explanation was needed, she was going to give it! She was a lady-like tomboy as well; she enjoyed wrestling with her brothers and getting her hands dirty, picking up insects outside to her mother's dismay but she also had dolls and stuffed animals for days! She was also the oldest by two seconds. She was named after Albert's grandmother.

A.C. was born next and he was just the average five year old. Rambunctious but always cheerful, A.C. liked any and everything his father liked, and took pride in showing it. Tabitha could sense that he would be the bully of the three, the way he always teased Jamil that he was named after their father.

Jamil was last but definitely not least. He was usually quiet but when he spoke, he spoke his mind and would always get in trouble for it! He was the smartest of the three and was responsible for teaching the other two to count, say their alphabets and even read as soon as he was taught. Of course, Albert and Jamila taught their children equally but Jamil had caught on first and was successful in enthusing the other two. If Solonia or A.C. needed any type of help, they would seek out Jamil first before their parents. Tabitha also saw that Jamila babied him the most but it was only because he almost didn't make it when they were born. Tabitha actually found it funny that Jamila still considered them babies and knew that she was going to be hit hard in the heart in a couple of months when the three would start kindergarten.

"I told you guys to dress nice, not dress like we're going to church!" Jamila almost laughed as she started making the plates, "Hey! Wait for your daddy!" she saw that they had picked up their forks and were about to dig in. Albert came from upstairs and sat at the table.

"Is it daddy's birthday?" Jamil asked as Jamila poured wine for the three adults. She shook her head and sat down.

"No. Guys… you know how everyone has their own family, right?"

"Yeah."

"Uh huh."

"Right!"

"Well… Tabitha has her own. And her family misses her…"

"Is… Miss Tabitha leaving?" A.C. asked but looked dead at Tabitha. The other two followed suit and all three sets of eyes glistened. Jamila took a deep breath to keep her eyes from glistening as well.

"Baby… she has to. But, tonight…"

"She's leaving tonight?" Solonia yelled. Her lips quivered from trying to keep her cries in.

"Nooo!" Jamil cried. He jumped out of his seat and grabbed a hold of Tabitha, determined to keep her there. The other two followed suit and they cried out their pleas for Tabitha to stay. It was all that a mother could take and her tears fell as well.

Tabitha looked down at the three through misted eyes but smiled.

"Guys… it's okay. I'll be back. It's only for a little while." she had made up her mind. Jamila wiped her eyes and looked at her.

"Tabs…"

"Really? You mean it?" Jamil cried. She lifted his face up and wiped at his tears.

"I promise. I have a mom and dad who want to see me. Wouldn't your mom and dad want to see you guys if you guys went away for a long time?"

"Uh huh…"

"It's the same for grownups. I promise, I'll go and see my mom and dad for a while and I'll come back. You won't even know I'm gone cuz I'll call you guys every day! Now… no more tears! We gotta eat before our food gets cold." she hugged the three and wiped all of their tears away. They gave her weak smiles but went back to their seats and started to eat. Jamila just stared at Tabitha.

"Tabitha…"

"If you tell me that I can't come back to live with you guys, I'm gonna really cry…" she calmly mentioned as she wiped at her eyes. Three pairs of eyes shot up from their plates and looked at their mother in angst.

"Mommy, don't…" a cry had started from A.C. Jamila looked at her children, at her husband, who squeezed her hand and then back at Tabitha with fresh tears.

"Tabs, you're family, now; how can I say no?"

With two cries out of their systems, the kids were in the bed and sleep in record time. For the first time since being there, Tabitha was the one to tuck them in and give them goodnight kisses. They hadn't planned on Tabitha undergoing the procedure that night but Tabitha wanted it done as quickly as possible. Jamila had called Wyatt and he gave them the go ahead to meet him at his home.

"You have a problem with Wyatt flirting with me, huh?"

"I have a problem with Wyatt flirting, period! He's a great friend but I wouldn't have introduced you to him if I didn't have to!"

"Sounds like a cover up to me! I think you're jealous that he flirts with me!" Tabitha joked. Jamila shot her a shocked look and then laughed.

"Pffft! Please! He flirts with every woman he sees; why would I get jealous? He still flirts with me even after I broke his hand!"

"Ouch!"

"Yeah; that's how we became friends! We were both at Columbia as students and he decides that he wants to get a free feel. I had dated a guy who taught me a few martial arts moves and… let's just say that I surprised the both of us! Heard the snaps before I realized what I had done…"

"Oh, that was real nice of you…" Tabitha laughed. Jamila joined her.

"He had it coming! Luckily, it was his non-writing hand. He started moping around after that, had the girls feeling sorry for him. He started acting like he was scared of me, too; had all those heifers mad at me… I had to talk to him. I told him that he got what he had deserved and if he hadn't been trying to put his hands where they weren't meant to be, it wouldn't be broke! You know what he says to me? 'You looked tense and I was only trying to give you a massage! Can't give you one now with one hand!'" Jamila imitated and the women roared with laughter, "Can you believe that? After me breaking his hand, he **still **wanted to flirt with me! But, we've been friends ever since." Jamila smiled. But their smiles faded as Jamila parked in the driveway. They both felt that something was wrong; Wyatt's car was there but his front door was open. The two jumped out of the SUV and Tabitha silently checked their surroundings.

"Something doesn't feel right. Stay behind me." Tabitha told Jamila. As much or as little martial arts training that she had, Tabitha knew that her powers would prevail over Jamila's.

The two quietly but swiftly went inside Wyatt's house but was stopped with the smell of burnt flesh.

"No… Wyatt!" Jamila immediately saw his charred body, still smoking from the voltage. Tabitha looked on in shock.

"Electrocuted? But… how…" Tabitha was interrupted by a noise from the back of the house. The two made their way through the house, until they got to a room whose door had been kicked in. The room, itself was big enough to be a small apartment and housed Wyatt's collection of weapons. In the middle of the room, holding an Imperial Katana Japanese sword was a man. His hair was cropped short… and was as pure white as Tabitha's. His body was toned and Tabitha had a feeling that she knew who this guy was. He laughed a little and put the sword back in its rightful place.

"So… this is where you've been holed up… Tabby." the guy stated and turned to face the two women. Tabitha's eyes widened.

"… Tony?"

"I've missed you, too."

"Tee… did you… kill… how did you…" Tabitha tried. Tony approached her and gently grabbed a large strand of her hair, examining it.

"I was so worried about you. After the accident, General First told us that you were okay, that the procedure was a success and when you recovered, you were going to be deployed overseas. But, then, Operation Recharge was discontinued, due to certain side effects. The general made a few adjustments and came to me to be the first to try it out." he explained. Tabitha shook her head, making him let go of her hair, "Don't be like that, Tabby! I've already done so many missions since my transformation. I have to tell you, I feel… better than ever. General First was so pleased that he's re-launched Operation Recharge with me in command. I'll be leading troops into war zones and taking care of everything in less than half the time it's been taking us for the past seven years! There's just one little problem: you." he explained, yanking her head back by her hair, "You see, the general found out about those mysterious deaths in that alley; how they were electrocuted to death. He sent me to investigate. And, what do I find? An AWOL soldier. The general ordered for your immediate capture, seeing how dangerous you were."

"Tony, that bastard killed me! He dumped me in that damn alley! He's been lying to you…"

"Well, you look good for a ghost. We'll be on our way, now. I don't think you'd want your professor harmed." Tony suggested. Tabitha's attention went to his arm, which was outstretched and clearly charged with electricity. The arm was pointing towards Jamila, who was frozen in place with fear.

"It's okay, Tabs. Just… go." she shook. Tabitha looked at Tony with disgust and anger.

"You're not gonna hurt her, or anyone else!" she threatened. Tabitha placed her hands on his stomach and let the electricity flow out, sending him flying across the room. He immediately got up but kept his smile.

"Very nice. I didn't want to fight you but… seeing that you're willing…"

"You killed a man for no reason! This is not you, Tee…"

"I had to kill him. You really think that they're here to help you? They're using you. They want to reproduce what you are. They wanted to get rich, quick."

"Tabs, I would never…" Jamila started but Tabitha held her hand out.

"I know, Mila; I know. I'm not going with you, Tony."

"Very well…" he said and charged towards Tabitha. She was taken aback at how quick he was and was almost rammed until she sidestepped him.

"Tee, I don't want to fight you!"

"Too late, sweetheart!" he told her and went after her again. Tabitha jumped back and narrowly avoided him, again. She realized that the fight was inevitable and took her military combat stance. Tony laughed at her.

"Really? Hand-to-hand? Gotta do better than that!" he told her. Tabitha quickly scanned the room and noticed the reflective surfaces of the display cases for some of the antique weapons. Quickly thinking, she aimed at one case, hoping that her electricity would cause a glare. As the glass shattered, a flash of light engulfed the room and Tabitha made her move towards Tony. She was surprised at how fast she was as well; this was the first time she ever had to use her abilities to defend herself.

Before she knew it, Tabitha was in front of Tony and gave his legs a roundabout, tripping him on his back. She immediately grabbed his legs but he kicked her off of him. The glare of the room had settled and Tony began to dart around the room, sending lightning bolts towards Tabitha. She dodged a few while she tried to match his speed; the jolts had little effect on her. In fact, Tabitha noticed that the jolts were not only lessening in strength but were actually helping her: she was absorbing his blows.

Tony glanced at her and laughed as he continued to attempt to subdue her.

"You know, it's a shame that professor had to die. But it was the nerd's fault. He told me everything I needed to know."

"The nerd… Sean? You killed Sean?" Jamila asked while she watched the two battle.

"It was quite easy, actually. He never saw it coming! Now… Tabby; back to us. Stop playing around and let's go. As you can see, I'm stronger than you."

"No. I'm not going anywhere with you. You wanna stop playing around? Fine! Come out and fight like a man!" Tabitha challenged. She threw lightning towards another set of cases and the glare returned. She rushed through her make shift cover but was caught with a jab to the stomach.

"Not falling for that, again…" he told her and delivered a series of lightning waves to her stomach. She knelt down in pain; she was absorbing them but the bolts being delivered back-to-back had been painful.

Tabitha was about to return the favor until Tony grabbed her hand and bent it backwards and Tabitha heard a few bones snap. She yelled out in pain.

"Tabitha!" Jamila yelled. She couldn't take it anymore. She ran into the room as the glare died out and jumped on Tony's back. She delivered a number of blows to his head, "Get off her! Leave her alone! What did Wyatt ever do to you?" she yelled with each blow. Annoyed, Tony dropped Tabitha and grabbed Jamila off his back by her throat. He squeezed hard around her neck, making her cough.

"Oh, you shouldn't have done that! Now, I wasn't going to hurt you… much, but it looks like I'll have to kill you…" Tony said. Jamila's eyes widened as he squeezed even harder around her neck and began to charge up for a lightning attack. Nevertheless, something was wrong, they could both feel it. Those deliberate blows to Tabitha had weakened Tony and as he attempted to release a wave of electricity to Jamila's neck, he was shocked that nothing came out. Tabitha, still in a little pain, looked up at the sight and laughed a little.

"What's the matter, Tony? Ran out of juice? What happened to the 'I'm stronger than you' bullshit? Oh… I get it, now. The real reason why you want me to come back is so that you can become even more powerful. Just… like… me…" she slowly got up at the realization of it.

"This isn't over with, Tabby. My orders will not be ignored; I **will **continue to hunt you down until I capture you! Even if it kills me! The general will take your blood and make war machines out of mere men! That doc was gonna cure you of your precious gift; I **had **to kill him! After a quick boost, I'll be back for you… 'Tabs'!" Tony stated and threw Jamila down. He was about to leave the room as Tabitha stood up.

"Tony!" she yelled after him. He turned and looked at her.

"Now, Tabby; we can finish our fight, later. You do want it to be an even fight?" he asked. Before he could leave, Jamila got up and surprised him with an elbow to his face. He fell to the ground, bloody nosed, and grabbed a hold of a bar that served as a barrier to another one of Wyatt's cases.

"No one fucks with my family!" she warned.

"You bitch!" he started. However, Tabitha was beside him and knelt down.

"And, no, Tony; it **is **over. I won't be hunted down like an animal!" she told him. She charged up to the fullest of her capacity and let the surge jump out of her as she held on to the bar as well. She watched as Tony's body convulsed from the shock waves and his charred body fell to the ground. She stepped over the corpse and looked at Jamila with a weak smile.

"You okay?"

"Yeah… golden." she sighed. The two walked out of the house.

"You throw one hell of a punch, doc…"

"Eh; he got what he deserved!" she said, nursing her bruised elbow.

Jamila suffered a sprained elbow while Tabitha suffered a broken hand and a sprained heart; she really loved Tony and hated that she was the one who ended his life. But she had no choice, did she? He had been brainwashed to the point of no return and reasoning with him was out the question.

Because he was military, the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command was called in to investigate Tony's death. Of course, the mysterious trail led back to Tabitha and she told them the entire situation, from the illegal procedure to her killing her best friend.

Jamila looked up hopeful as she heard the front door open. Tabitha walked in and smiled.

"So… I take it that you're not being charged?"

"Nope. Thing is, all this talk about his experiments is bigger than what I've done. In response to my cooperation, I will not be charged with any criminal wrongdoing." it sounded like Tabitha was quoting someone. Jamila laughed, "I'm getting an honorable discharge out the Army. I hate it but General First is most likely going to the stockade." she finished. Jamila raised an eyebrow at her, "The brig." Tabitha remembered that Jamila was a Marine's wife. Jamila nodded.

"How's your hand?" Jamila stared at the cast around Tabitha's right hand. She traced the contours of the cast and smiled a little.

"It's stopped throbbing. Luckily, I'm left handed, huh?"

"Tabs… you know that I've taught you everything that I know, right?"

"Yeah." she sighed and sat down next to Jamila.

"Sorry about you not being normal."

"It's okay. There's got to be others who can help me, right?"

"I was thinking the same thing. It's been a while since I graduated from college. There might be some new subjects being offered that can teach you more than I can. Things that I have no clue about, anyway."

"Wait; you're telling me to leave?"

"No! I know that you want to be normal, again. Columbia offers great knowledge about DNA study."

"Columbia? Where?"

"New York. Wyatt graduated there and he was in the top ten percentage of his field of study. I'm not asking you to leave; I'm just suggesting that you can find some answers there. I don't know anyone else here who can help you." Jamila explained. Tabitha looked at her at first and then down at her folded hands. She knew that the doctor was right. She wanted to become normal and knew how much time she had left before the mutant strand fused with her own DNA strand.

"I guess you're right. You'd never tell me anything wrong…"

Mr. and Mrs. Lindsey and their children stood inside of the bus depot along with Tabitha. She bent down and let the children hug her.

"Are you gonna come back, Miss Tabitha?"

"Of course! I'll be back for all the holidays. So, don't cry. I have to go to school, just like you guys are about to." she cheered them up. She gave them one last squeeze and got up to face the parents. Albert, forever the Marine, stood straight-faced but Jamila dabbed at the corners of her eyes, a sign that Tabitha had grown to know meant that she was holding back tears.

"Doc, don't do this…" Tabitha warned.

"I know, I know; I'm sorry. I can't help it. We're gonna miss you, Tabs."

"I just want to say: if it wasn't for you, Jamila, I'd probably still be in that alley. I owe you more than my life for that. I'll miss you, too." Tabitha said and hugged Jamila.

"We'll come visit every free chance we get!" Jamila managed. Tabitha smiled.

"Looking forward to it! Good riddance, huh?" Tabitha looked at Albert. He smiled.

"I never thought that. For my kids to get so attached to you, you're good in my book! Good luck, Tabitha. Now, don't miss your bus!"

"Right!" Tabitha noticed. She picked up her only bag and started walking towards the door.

"Oh, Tabs; I almost forgot!" Jamila ran up to her. She handed her an ID card, "Your new life."

"A new ID?"

"Yeah; just in case there's some questions. When I had enrolled you, I changed your last name." Jamila explained. Tabitha looked at the ID and noticed that her last name was Lindsay. She gave Jamila a confused look.

"How'd you do this without me knowing?"

"I wasn't always teaching physics! Now, go! Call me as soon as you get settled!" Jamila winked and hurried her out the door. Tabitha handed her ticket to the bus driver and boarded her bus. She took her seat and looked out the window as the Lindseys watched the bus leave. Tabitha waved until she could no longer see them and looked down at her new ID.

"You were right; the good ol' doc took care of me!" she whispered and settled in for the long ride.


	5. A New Life

Chapter Five: A New Life

Tabitha stretched as the bus came to its final stop in New York. She was relieved that the almost two-day trip was over and vowed never to travel by bus ever again! She grabbed her bag and rushed to the nearest restroom in the bus terminal to wash up and adjust her new head wrap, which consisted of a simple white t-shirt tied in a tight ball in the back. She liked the fact that no one paid her any mind on the bus as well as in the terminal.

Tabitha followed Jamila's instructions to the tee, hauling a cab to get to the university's dorm rooms. She had no trouble getting to her dormitory and finding her room. She wasn't a bit surprised to see that she had a roommate, although the young woman was surprised to see her! She looked like the typical girl with long blond hair and big blue eyes. She had a slim frame that she showed off in short shorts and a tank top. Tabitha smiled at the girl as she stared at her.

"So, you're my new roomie?"

"Yeah. Tabitha." she stuck her hand out. The girl shook it.

"Samantha but don't call me Sam; I **hate **that!"

"What about Sammie?" Tabitha asked and Samantha laughed.

"No one's ever thought about that! Guess I have a new nickname! Wow; your accent is pretty strong! Where are you from?"

"Memphis." Tabitha thought back to her new ID.

"A country girl! How sweet! First time in a big city?" Samantha asked and plopped down on her bed. Tabitha let herself huff.

"Actually, Memphis is the biggest city in the state of Tennessee. So, no. You're from here, I'm guessing."

"L.A." Samantha answered and Tabitha heard in her voice that she was a bit let down from being corrected. Tabitha wanted to laugh. Instead, she had a dire need of getting into a shower. She dug into her bag, pulling out a fresh pair of underwear, a top and shorts and hygiene essentials.

"Long way from home. Why not UCLA?"

"Needed a change of pace. Why didn't you stay at home?"

"Same thing. Plus, electric engineering study is the best here. Can we talk later? I really need to get a shower! Long trip."

"No problem." Samantha shrugged. As soon as Tabitha closed the door and headed down the hallway, she let out a huge sigh.

An hour later, Tabitha returned to her room, refreshed as ever. She was glad that no one was in the showers and had time to wash her hair as well. She walked back into the room where Samantha was busy on the phone.

"I'll call you back; I want to talk to my new roomie." she said and immediately closed her cell phone; "While you were cleaning up, I so happen to notice that you only have one bag." she looked dead at Tabitha. She shrugged as she sat down on her bed.

"What can I say; I like to carry light." she answered and wanted to laugh at that. She simply wrapped the towel even tighter around her head and finished unpacking her bag.

"You're going to need a lot more than that to get by here. I mean, where's your laptop…"

"It's on the way. Along with some other things."

"I'm hoping more clothes! And what was up with that thing around your head earlier?"

"Oh; that? That's a little trend going on in the South. I like it."

"You're quite the interesting southern belle! Got a boyfriend?" Samantha asked. The question stopped Tabitha dead in her tracks. She slowly closed the dresser drawer and opened the next one below.

"Had."

"Aw, what happened? He found another southern belle to court?" Samantha had laughter in her voice.

"He died." Tabitha tried not to sound insulted. However, the tone was enough to make Samantha look at her apologetically.

"Oh! Oh, God; I'm so sorry! Do you mind me asking how?"

"Electrocuted." Tabitha answered. She, of course left out who electrocuted him and finished putting her clothes away in her dresser.

"That's terrible. Absolutely terrible!"

"Yeah. I… really don't like talking about it."

"Of course! Yeah, sure! I understand completely. Seeing that we're roomies now, anytime you just need to cry on my shoulder, you let me know!"

"… Thanks." Tabitha mumbled. She controlled her urge to give Samantha one good jolt and sighed as she stood up, "I gotta make a phone call. I'll be back…"

"Oh, hey; if you're hungry, we can go get something to eat. Stop by when you're done and we can go; my treat."

"I'll… that'll be nice. See you in a few, then." Tabitha said and left once again. She just remembered she had to let Jamila know she made it safely.

Tabitha didn't expect to like college life as much as she did. She had always seen how college life was betrayed in the movies but knew that sometimes it was far from the truth. However, Tabitha didn't mind the classes at all. She found that because she wore her t-shirt head wrap, it was an immediate conversation starter and once they heard her southern twang, everyone had to talk to her. So, she had become sociable and somewhat popular in her classes. The work wasn't as hard as she had expected, either. She enjoyed going to the library to get some quiet time to study and collect her thoughts as well as look into further research as to how to get rid of that mutant strand that threatened to take over her original DNA. She even had to admit that, although it was a rocky start, Tabitha was even beginning to like Samantha as a roommate.

Tabitha frequented the dorm lobby to get glimpses of the news every now and then and noticed that the crime was as bad as the movies made it out to be in New York. For that simple fact, Tabitha at first decided not to be out and about like the other students at night. They had already lost five students to violent crimes the first semester alone!

She was glad that her classes were interesting enough to keep her mind off of things like that. Her favorite class was Modern Art, and Tabitha had taught herself how to weld using her lightning powers. With a little practice, Tabitha had learned how to control the degree of her lightning and applied it to her work. Her art pieces were soon becoming the rave at the university, with even her professors wondering how she designed the pieces with the illusion of the smoothness they gave out. Tabitha even structured a small piece of art in front of the class, using only the simple tools used to sculpt and manipulate the steel and iron materials, and no one was the wisest as to how she actually did it.

While Samantha was out and about with her boyfriend of the week, Tabitha stayed in the room to catch up on some studying and designs for her next art project. After thirty minutes, she decided that she had enough work and that it was time to start on her masterpiece. She took the metal rods that she had found and began to work her magic, letting the electricity flow from her gloved hands to the rods. The metal was warm, even through the insulation of the gloves but the rods began to give way so that she could sculpt them. Before long, Tabitha had molded the one rod into a small frame of an unfinished house. She studied it and realized how much she missed her actual home and her actual family. She had decided against making something so personal and began to remold the piece into something more abstract. In deep concentration, Tabitha had forgotten how making these pieces gave her a workout in itself and reached for a towel to wipe her moistened brow. Before she realized it, Tabitha had let her powers go through the towel and it gave her a sharp but small jolt when she wiped.

"Shit!" she threw the hot towel almost across the room. She had expected it to be seared but she noticed that the towel was still intact. She picked it up and felt that the material was a bit coarser. She poked at the coarsest part and saw that it was sturdy, "Huh!" she wondered. What made this towel not burn up but become tougher, she asked herself. Tabitha thought back at what the towel had gone through. Nothing, she realized. It was the towel that she had used earlier to dry her hair; because her hair had become thicker; the towel was still a bit damp.

Tabitha widened her eyes at the towel and remembered one of her lessons from a couple of weeks ago: water was an excellent conduit for lightning. The towel had actually held her electrical surge and made the material tougher. Forgetting her work, Tabitha rushed out the room and to the restrooms. She doused the towel with water and making sure no one was around, applied the same amount of electricity she did when she was welding. As she had expected, the towel didn't go up in flames but immediately dried up. She waited for the towel to cool before she grabbed it again and ran back to her room. Tabitha immediately tried to tear the towel but it was no good. She tried to put one of the intact metal rods through the towel but it wasn't budging. She even took a pair of scissors to cut the towel but the scissors stayed put, not even making a mark on the towel. Tabitha marveled at the creation and went to call Jamila to tell her of the news.

Tabitha had created a new hobby for herself and started to make clothes. At first, she thought that her new powers only worked on cotton-based fabrics but as a joke, she tried it on other fabrics as well. She noticed that even though it worked best with cotton types, Tabitha could make other fabrics indestructible just the same. Jamila was just as thrilled as she was, sending her various materials and how-to books on making clothing.

Tabitha had to put that to the side and prepared for a special project: Columbia's art students were being featured in a local article for The Daily Bugle. The professor had stressed that Tabitha make her best design and Tabitha had come up with a statue that represented the Lindseys: it was an abstract iron structure but Tabitha knew what it represented.

A reporter from The Daily Bugle had come on campus with her photographer as the art students laid their pieces on display by the main fountain. Tabitha was doing the finishing touches on her piece when she felt someone standing behind her. She took her protective goggles off and looked back.

"That's very impressive." the guy said. He was just an ordinary guy, nothing special or specific about him except for the camera he was holding. Tabitha stood up and smiled.

"Thank you."

"It's a family, isn't it?"

"How did you know?" Tabitha was shocked. The guy pointed towards one of the perfect curves in the structure.

"That curve right there. It's like an arm. And these three squiggly lines; the curve is supporting them. That's a mom and her children. This other curve is massive and bulky; that's the dad."

"Wow! You're good!"

"Not as good as this. This is great. Do you mind… if I used this as the cover for the article?"

"Really? No shit?" Tabitha let the words slip. She covered her mouth but the guy laughed.

"It's okay! I'm Peter. Peter Parker."

"I'm Tabitha Ly… Lindsay." she introduced and the two shook hands.

"So, you did this all by yourself?"

"Yeah. I'm not done, actually. Just a little more adjustment…" she stated and bent down to fix a rod at the bottom. It took only seconds and Tabitha stood back to admire her work.

"This is a beautiful piece! What does it represent?" a woman, the reporter Tabitha figured, asked. She smiled at her.

"Family." her smile went back to her masterpiece.

Tabitha had to go to the bookstore to order another book for one of her future classes. She was walking out, heading towards the cafeteria before it closed to get herself a bite to eat. She had promised herself that she wouldn't try to starve herself ever again for the sake of being on time for classes.

"Hey… Tabitha, right?" she heard a familiar voice. Tabitha turned around and saw Peter walking towards her.

"P! What's up, buddy?" she smiled. The picture he had taken for the article came out perfect and she had become the talk on campus.

"I'm glad I ran into you! I wanted to thank you for letting me take a picture of your sculpture. The Daily Bugle wants to have a different sculpture from you displayed every month in the arts section. Would you be interested?"

"Wow! That's… really great! I'd love to!"

"Great! I can try to put in a good word and maybe you can get compensated as well."

"Sounds good but if not, I wouldn't worry too much about it! What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm a student here. Just part time."

"Only met you twice and you keep amazing me! I'm on my way to the cafeteria; wanna join me?"

"You know… I'm in the mood for something tastier!"

Peter and Tabitha took their seats in a local diner and ordered their food. Tabitha took a sip out of her soda and looked out the window to watch all the people passing by.

"So many people…" Tabitha thought. Peter looked on as well and smiled.

"Not used to it?"

"Starting to get back used to it. I was going through a hermit phase for a while."

"Do all artists have these depressing stories about their childhood or is it just me?" Peter asked and Tabitha laughed.

"No one said anything about being depressed! I just… didn't feel like dealing with people for a while. I kinda liked it, in the long run. Being away from the outside."

"What about friends or a boyfriend? How'd they take it?"

"Well… the people that I lived with were my friends. Still are. Actually, they're family. And… I didn't have a boyfriend. What about you?" Tabitha quickly changed the subject. Peter sighed as their food was delivered.

"There is this girl but…"

"Wait. I've heard this one before. She doesn't know you exist, right?"

"She does. We've been neighbors since we were little. But… not like that."

"P, I got the solution to all your problems! You got to take the bull by the horns!"

"What?" Peter asked. Tabitha stuffed almost a handful of French fries in her mouth and waited until she was halfway done chewing them to speak again.

"You know, lead by the reins! Take charge of the situation!" she huffed when Peter still had a confused look on his face, "Go up to the girl and tell her how you feel!"

"I can't…"

"Why not? She taken?"

"No. I think she kinda knows."

"Well, 'kinda' doesn't cut it! P, life is too short to let the one you love walk away without them at least knowing how you feel. I…" Tabitha was about to make a confession but it pained her too much. She simply stared at her plate, "I'm sorry. I've said too much…"

"I think you have a point. You're right. I can't afford to sit here and not say anything and then she'll be with someone else, again. I think I'm going to take your advice."

"Good!" Tabitha said and stuffed her mouth with the rest of her fries.


	6. Bull Horns

Chapter Six: Taking the Bull By the Horns

Peter and Tabitha had become immediate friends after eating dinner together. They met a few times a week for a bite to eat and discussed his love life, her sculptures and random things. Peter learned more about the family that was immortalized in iron and Tabitha learned about the elusive Mary Jane, the All-American girl next door. Tabitha was beginning to think that maybe someone else deserved to have Peter as a boyfriend, with his sweet and caring demeanor. She couldn't believe that someone like Peter was born and raised in New York.

It was a surprise for Tabitha to see Peter sitting with someone else at their favorite seat in Mario's Diner; their favorite meet up spot. She was a fiery redhead, and from how Peter had been describing her for the past two months, Tabitha knew that this was the infamous MJ. She approached the table and smiled.

"I see. Cheating on me, P?" she smiled and winked. Mary Jane looked at Peter with concern as Peter laughed. Tabitha joined him and stuck her hand out at Mary Jane, "Just jokes! Sorry! So, I finally get to meet MJ! I'm Tabitha." she said and Mary Jane shook her hand, smiling.

"Nice to finally meet you as well! So, you're 'Tabby Cat', the flamboyant artist!" she said as Tabitha sat down. Tabitha shot a look at Peter.

"You think I'm flamboyant?"

"In a good way, Tabby Cat; you know that!" Peter said and she slightly laughed.

"So… what's good birdies?"

The three chatted and laughed like old friends for two hours straight, ignoring the warning stares from Mario to let others sit at their booth to eat. Tabitha glanced out the window only to be greeted by the blaring siren of a police car, which almost ran over a pedestrian. She shook her head.

"All this damn crime…" she pointed out. Mary Jane could only shrug.

"Tabby's new to New York; she doesn't know that we have a crime fighter here." Peter said. Tabitha looked at the two.

"You mean, The Daily Bugle's been featuring you in their newspaper and you haven't even read it?" Mary Jane mused. Tabitha shrugged.

"P hands me the copy of the arts section personally when they print one of my sculptures. Can't say that I've been paying that much attention. So, who is this crime fighter and are you guys really serious?" Tabitha smirked.

"He goes by the name of Spider-Man…" Peter said but Tabitha snorted out a laugh, "What? What's so funny?"

"Oh, quit it! 'Spider-Man'? That's hilarious! You guys kill me!" Tabitha finally let out a full laugh. Mary Jane shook her head, grabbed a paper someone left on the next table and showed her.

"We're not joking. Take a look for yourself." she smiled. Tabitha looked at the front-page picture: a man whose torso, arms, feet and mask were red with web designs while the rest of his legs and portions of his arms were covered in blue. In the middle of his chest was a black imprint of a spider and it looked like he was flying from… a web?

"Spider-Man, huh? Damn; looking kinda good in them tights…" Tabitha couldn't help but to notice the muscles through the costume, "Sorry! So… what's his story?"

"No one knows. People that's encountered him say that he can walk on walls, like a spider. He shoots webs out like a spider, too. He's been helping the police out a lot, lately." Peter explained.

"So, why does this say friend or foe?" Tabitha pointed at the headline.

"That's how some people see it. You know; their views and beliefs on vigilantes."

"I see. People getting the job done themselves instead of letting the police do their jobs… might bring chaos. Not to mention put the police out of jobs. What if that's his real motive?"

"Spidey's? No way! He… saved me… twice…" Mary Jane smiled. Tabitha looked at her.

"Shut… up! You've actually seen him in person? Twice?"

"He's a good guy, Tabitha." Peter confirmed. Tabitha stared at the photo.

"Regardless of what powers he has, no way he can do this by himself."

"He helps the police out as much as he can." Mary Jane said. Tabitha simply looked out the window, again. She wondered if there was any way she could help him out. She had super powers, herself now.

"But, still. You think… he would reject someone helping him out?"

"They'd have to be a superhero like him, I guess! And, he's the only one around that we know of!" Peter smiled. Tabitha rested her chin in her hand.

"Hmm…"

It took Tabitha two weeks to design her own costume; she had made up her mind that this Spider-Man needed help. She had hit a brick wall in her attempt to find a cure and figured that while she was going through a block, she could use her powers to help the city of New York. Peter had said it himself: Spider-Man would not reject the help of a fellow superhero.

She didn't have much to work with but finally came up with a disguise; she had taken her old BDUs that she requested Jamila to ship; luckily, Jamila had washed the clothes instead of throwing them away. She did some hem readjustments, making the pants as tight as she could and fused the fabric with her electricity. The brown shirt had been altered to the likes of a halter-top and was fused as well. She took other materials and combined them with what had been left of the cut fabric from the shirt to make her a mask, similar in design to the one that she had seen one of the wrestlers the children had rooted for had worn and of course, fused it as well. Tabitha couldn't wait to try it on!

Jamila walked down the hall of the dorm and it brought back many memories for her. She found the door and knocked. The door opened slightly.

"Are you alone?" Tabitha asked. Jamila laughed a little.

"Yeah, of course! Tabs…" but Jamila was pulled inside the room. She almost dropped the gifts she was bearing and carefully put them on a bed, "What the hell? Tabs, I…" she had turned around and saw that Tabitha was dressed oddly. The BDU pants that she had asked Jamila to mail to her had been altered to fit very snugly. She had destroyed the brown t-shirt and turned it into a halter-top, exposing a very slim waist, tight stomach and a cute belly button. Her patented t-shirt head wrap had been ditched and her white hair flowed down to her shoulders like silk. What got to Jamila was the mask that she was wearing; it favored Jamil's favorite wrestler's in design. Jamila just looked at her, "Um… a little late for Halloween?" she asked. Tabitha huffed.

"You don't like it?"

"What… who are you supposed to be?"

"A superhero!"

"A super heroine." Jamila corrected.

"Nah; that sounds too much like the drug!"

"Seriously; what's the occasion? Was I supposed to come dressed up, too?" Jamila asked but Tabitha laughed.

"Jay! This is for real! A few weeks ago, I had an epiphany. There's this superhero named Spider-Man…" Tabitha tried but Jamila let out the same snorted laugh that Tabitha had three weeks prior, "… which I knew you would do that so take a look." she continued and gave Jamila the morning paper. On the front cover was Spider-Man.

"Well, damn! Look at that body…"

"Exactly but that's not the point!"

"Wait; is this for real?"

"Yes! My friends P and MJ told me all about him. He helps the cops with crime, doc. But, he's doing it by himself. He has actual spider powers, webs and all. But, he can't do it by himself. He needs a sidekick!"

"And, you've spoke to him personally about this?" Jamila looked at Tabitha. She flung her mask off and sat down on her bed.

"No. I've never seen him in person. But… despite all that, I know that I can help him! I have powers, too. And, I wanna use them for good!"

"Tabs, this ain't no comic book. You could seriously get hurt…"

"I know, I know. But… the last time I've been this dead on about something, I joined the military. I **know **I can do this and… getting hurt is a risk I'm willing to take." she looked dead at Jamila. Jamila could only sigh and looked back at the picture of Spider-Man.

"Well… I guess… if he sees you falling, he can shoot a web out and catch you. Merry Christmas, then!"

Tabitha was grateful that Jamila even went out of her way and bought her sergeant patches before she returned home. Tabitha immediately sewed them on her sleeves and knew that her outfit was finally complete.

She had to wait until her roommate was fast asleep before she started on her very first patrol. She had huge expectations that had failed to be met for that night; she had forgotten to take in consideration that she couldn't fly so she took patrol by foot, lurking in the shadows. She had expected to encounter Spider-Man but he was a no-show. The only good out of her patrol was that she thwarted a possible car theft. Tabitha came back to the dorms highly disappointed and very exhausted.

Nevertheless, she didn't give up. Just like she had discovered how to fuse fabric with electricity, she was determined to find a way to discover a new power. She was busy every night, going on patrol every other night. Her off nights, she would find a place to herself and practice lightning techniques. She had to admit that she was indeed faster than what she was before becoming a mutant; it was just a matter of getting back into shape. Before long, the patrols on foot hadn't bothered her as much as they did.

It was a night just like the others had been. Tabitha was grateful that it was a Friday night. That meant more people committing crimes and if she had a good night, she would be able to rest all of Saturday!

Tabitha had made her way to the local docks this night; she had been monitoring suspicious behavior there for the past three outings. She wondered if anyone would finally make a move that night.

Her luck had changed; Tabitha had climbed up on top of a cargo freight to look at the action secretly and saw that something was indeed about to go down. She was shocked, however, when she saw a group of what looked like high schoolers approach the other cargo that had just been shipped. The fact that they all looked no older than sixteen wasn't what shocked her. It was their hair. All were in different styles but they all had one thing in common: every one of them had snow-white hair. The group talked about nothing at first, awaiting an "Alpha" to show up. Their conversations were cut short when a man approached them. Tabitha couldn't shake the fact that the man looked familiar, even at the height where she had hidden. His hair was slicked back and she could tell even in the dark that he had distinctive features in his face. He spoke softly but Tabitha could've sworn that she had heard his voice before as well. She heard one of the white-haired kids say that he had taken care of the watchman and the man told them to start loading the cargo. Tabitha decided that she needed to make a move right then and there and jumped down from the freight. The group was startled at first but it was Tabitha who was almost frozen with fear… and anger. The man that she thought she knew she could finally see in the dimmed light; his slicked back hair was salt and pepper, he towered over everyone at the docks and that sculpted face: it was none other than General First, himself!

"A rogue one, huh? Soldiers, take care of her." he calmly ordered and before Tabitha could attack him, she was bewildered to feel jolts of lightning striking her. Tabitha stumbled to the ground and looked back at the group of kids who were charging up for their second round of attacks. She jumped out of the way and decided that she had to get rid of the kids before she would go after "Alpha".

Despite coming face to face with her killer once again, Tabitha was pumped to be fighting. All the other crimes she had stopped, the people were taken down easily; she would dodge a few knife slashes and then simply touch them and give them a small jolt. However, these kids were just like her and Tabitha was going to enjoy this workout.

She charged after one of the kids and landed a kick to his face, making sure to put as much surge in her kick than normal. Seeing that the kids were obviously injected with the secret serum, she knew that he would be able to take the shock by itself. She had just hoped that the actual kick would render him useless!

Tabitha immediately went after the second kid, a female, tackling her into two others into a steel cargo freight. As they were all dazed, Tabitha delivered a powerful hit of lightning through the girl and they passed out. Three more to go, Tabitha thought to herself as she approached another girl. She was charging up to hit Tabitha but Tabitha knew that her powers were about to fade; the same amount of time had elapsed right before Tony lost his powers. She knew that these kids were going to need a quick boost before attempting a second round and she would have reached Alpha long before they had a chance to inject themselves. Therefore, Tabitha braced herself for the surge and it only stopped her for a second. Tabitha grabbed the girl's arm and was about to simply slam her on the ground when she was hit from behind by a bolt.

"What the…" she had realized too late that the kids she was fighting may have been injected with a better serum. She turned around only to be greeted by a punch that sent her body twisting to the ground. She tried to get up but the melee of kicks and bolts of lightning pummeled her back to the ground. Tabitha had figured that all she had to do was wait it out but their serum lasted longer than she had expected. She had been ganged up on; there was nothing she could do. She was lifted up by three of the kids and carried to the edge of the docks.

"Stop playing around with her and dispose of her; we have work to do!" Alpha called out from a truck.

"Yes, boss!"

"Stupid rogue bitch; let's see how well you can swim!" one of the guys said and Tabitha was lifted up into the air. Fear raced through her heart as she looked down at the black water; there was a good reason why Tabitha had chosen the Army instead of any other branch of service and that was because at the time, they did not require a swim qualification: Tabitha could not swim. She tried to struggle away from their grasps but with seven surged up kids, there was no way they were letting her down. She shocked them with all her might and that did little damage. Before she knew it, Tabitha had been thrown across. Something had come over her before she hit the water and before she knew it, Tabitha had dashed across the water and onto the safety of a muddy bank fifty feet away in a matter of seconds. Too much in shock to be amazed, she attempted it again and had disappeared from sight before the kids could retaliate. It drew the attention of Alpha, who had not been paying attention to the fight until then. He was in shock at first but then slowly smiled.

"Holy shit; boss, did you see that?"

"Yeah, man; I don't think she's one of us! We can't do that, can we?" they asked their boss.

"Out-fucking-standing, sergeant." Alpha mumbled to himself. He looked at his group, "Soldiers, I believe that we have a new mission. Load the cargo and I'll debrief you."

Tabitha had thought that she would have been dog-tired when she made it back to the dorms. However, she was far from it. She had calculated that it had taken her only fifteen seconds to go from the banks to the dorm building, where it had took her fifteen minutes to walk the opposite path! She went to the bushes where she had hidden her clothes, quickly changed and went back to her room. As she plopped down on her bed, she smiled a little. She had learned a new ability. She was now literally lightning fast. She didn't need to know how to fly, now.

Her smile soon faded as the picture of the man who killed her crossed her mind. Alpha. He had injected those kids with his damned serum and somehow made it better; they lasted twice as long as Tony had and it looked as if they still had some powers left. However, he hadn't recognized her: if he did, he would have went after her, personally. That would be his second mistake; his first was when he dumped her body in Memphis and left her for dead. He was going to pay for that, Tabitha angrily thought. I will make sure of that, was her last thought as she drifted off to sleep.

Tabitha was sitting at the fountain on campus, eating a bagged lunch and catching up on some studying. She looked up as Peter made his way towards her. He sat down, smiled and handed her The Daily Bugle.

"What's this?" she asked, grabbing the paper.

"Since you've gotten a sudden interest in crime, I thought you'd want to read this." he said. Tabitha looked at the page he had it turned to and read the article.

"It's about a string of robberies…" she noticed.

"Read on."

"'The suspects are believed to be high school children with phenomenal lightning powers. Police are asking citizens to report any suspicious behavior involving any white-haired teens immediately'. Lightning powers? White-haired?" Tabitha looked at Peter, hoping that she was convincing him of her confused look. He took the paper away.

"Looks like there are other people with powers around, again."

"Again?"

"Yeah. There's been quite a few popping up every now and then since Spider-Man first appeared. They become a bit bothersome but then he takes care of them. This is different, though."

"How so?"

"Well, there's usually not a group. I hope he can handle this…" Peter had a surprising look of worry on his face.

"Didn't think of you as a fan of his, with him saving MJ twice…"

"Guilty pleasure of mine, I guess! I would think that I'm his biggest. Well, I gotta get going. Oh; I have to cancel our dinner plans; major studying."

"No probs; I was gonna suggest the same thing. Chemistry's kicking my ass…" she lied. Peter laughed a little.

"We'll eat together tomorrow. See you."

"Looking forward to it. Later, P."

It was Tabitha's night to hit the streets. She wasn't going to be outsmarted by the kids, again and was prepared. She just didn't know where to start looking for them.

Lightning Cloud, she decided to name her new ability, and she had used it to move from building top to building top. She was surprised as she landed on her last building to be a few feet away from Spider-Man. He turned around suddenly and looked at her. Tabitha was in too much shock to move; she stood there and stared at him as if meeting her favorite celebrity.

"Spider-Man…"

"Hmm; white hair. Lightning ability. But… you're different from the other White Hairs. You would've attacked me. So, you're the one who's been helping me out?" Spider-Man asked her. Tabitha smiled, more out of embarrassment.

"You've noticed."

"You've been leaving quite a little mark behind. Thank you. You wouldn't happen to know about the White Hairs, would you?" he asked. Tabitha saw that it was safe to approach him and she did.

"Vaguely. I know about their leader."

"Alpha."

"Yeah. Let's just say that I was his first and failed experiment. He has this secret serum that looks like he's perfected and gave it to those kids. The actual procedure is to give you pretty much super human strength, adrenaline and super speed but expires in about thirty minutes. The serum is injected and you're given a couple of small jolts to trigger the effect of the serum."

"Where does the white hair come from?" Spider-Man asked and Tabitha slightly shook her head.

"Not from the normal procedure. The jolts are intensified and strips the pigments out of your hair. I want to find out how these kids came to be almost like me; it doesn't make sense."

"Since you know so much about Alpha… maybe I can use your help. Are you willing?" Spider-Man asked. Tabitha couldn't help letting a smile creep on her lips.

"Cocked, locked and ready to rock!"

"I'm guessing that means yes! So, what's your name?" he asked. Tabitha hadn't been prepared for that! All the preparation for fighting crime, she had forgotten the main thing: her superhero name!

"… You can call me Sgt. Lyght."


	7. Justice

Chapter Seven: Justice

Tabitha was beyond thrilled to had finally met and worked with Spider-Man. He was more impressive in person as well as more toned. Tabitha admitted that part of her excitement was probably infatuation with Spidey. She decided to change up her schedule and was going to go crime fighting every night.

She couldn't tell Peter or Mary Jane that she had even met or seen Spider-Man; questions would be asked that she had no explanations for. As much as it ate at her, she kept her mouth shut and tried to continue with her normal life. She did, however, made her excitement known to Jamila.

She had become Spider-Man's sidekick, he had insisted. Although their main goal was Alpha and the White Hairs, that didn't stop other crimes. They were a great team, making quick work of other criminals.

Tabitha was in Mario's and was taken by surprise when The Daily Bugle was placed in front of her. She looked up at Mary Jane at first and then looked at the paper. On the front was Spider-Man; that was no surprise. What surprised her was who was beside him on what looked like a stream of lightning: herself. The title made her heart sink, however: "Spidey's New Sidekick: A White Hair?"

"A White Hair? It's a joke, right?"

"Actually, no. The article is wrong, as always; they have a thing against Spider-Man. She's a good White Hair. She's different from the others. She's never been seen with them. Only Spider-Man." MJ sat down. Tabitha smirked as she looked at the picture; she wanted to jump for joy: she was known, now. Regardless of if the title was damning, people who read The Daily Bugle now knew that Sgt. Lyght existed.

"A new superhero, huh?"

"Super heroine."

"Oh, no thank you; I don't do drugs…" Tabitha teased but kept her eyes on the paper. MJ roared with laughter, "What does Peter think?"

"He's very excited about this. He said that the only person who thinks they're both bad is his boss, the editor."

"Of course. Bad news is good news for them. This does look promising. Maybe with two of 'em, crime will go down."

"I hope so." MJ agreed and sipped her coffee. Tabitha continued to look at the picture and secretly smiled.

It was a rainy night and Spider-Man had found Tabitha by the Empire State building. She turned around and smiled.

"Sgt. Lyght; I knew I'd find you out tonight! I think I got a lead. Follow me."

"Wait; there's something I've always wanted to try." she smiled. She wrapped her arms around him, "You won't be needing your webs tonight! Tell me where to go."

"The docks." he said. Tabitha smiled and used Lightning Cloud, and they were at the docks in ten seconds.

"Wow; that was a rush!"

"Take me out on a swing one night and we'll be even." Tabitha smiled.

"It's a deal. Someone's coming." he noticed. In a blink, he webbed them out of sight on top of a cargo bin. They looked down at the pier. A man walked by, whistling. Tabitha narrowed her eyes in disgust.

"Alpha." she hissed. Rage had suddenly came over her and she was seconds from pouncing on him. However, as he walked into one of the pier lights, she saw that he looked different. It didn't matter as she jumped down and made her way towards him before Spider-Man could even move.

"Sergeant!" he warned but went after her. It drew Alpha's attention and he turned to face the woman. He smiled as her electrical surges showed and flowed all around her body in quick, angry spurts. He also saw that Spider-Man was behind her.

"Well, well, well; Sgt. Lyght! You're looking damn sexy for a dead soldier." he teased. Despite being raged, she did see that he had changed: his once salt and pepper hair was black, almost onyx and his skin was bronzed, giving him a metallic look. The last time she had seen him up close, he was in uniform. Now, even though it was brisk and chilled outside, he wore a dull yellow sleeveless shirt, showing off muscles she would have never thought he had and black pants.

Spider-Man was taken off a little bit. He had figured that he was the only one she had told of her name but this guy, Alpha, didn't hesitate to call her by her super heroine name. He knew then that was pretty much her real name and made a mental note to try to look it up.

"You killed me. You dumped me all the way in fucking Memphis!"

"I'm beginning to like this side of you, sergeant! It's almost… arousing…" he smiled more, looking her over. It only made Tabitha charge up even more.

"You fucking bastard!" she yelled and released all of her pent up anger and lightning towards him. She had regretted killing Tony; it ate at her almost every day. She was going to enjoy killing Alpha; it was the only way to make him pay for what he had done to her… and to Tony.

Alpha saw the massive surge of lightning coming towards him and stayed in place. It struck him, knocking him on his back, the energy and surges coursing through his body.

"Sgt. Lyght!" Spider-Man ran to her. It wasn't right. She had killed him but had done it out of pure rage. It was terrifying to watch her charge up the way she did and release her lightning with that much force and power. He was madder at himself for not trying to stop her in time. He didn't condone killing anyone, regardless of what they had done. There were legal ways to deal with criminals. He didn't put all the blame on Sgt. Lyght but on her blinded rage.

The energy was the most she had ever released at one time and it left her exhausted, with her breathing hard. She watched in satisfaction as the surges pulsated around his body but her celebration was short lived. The surges bounced off of his body and dissipated. He slowly got up but was laughing.

"What the hell…" she thought out loud.

"That… should've killed him…" Spider-Man mused. Alpha stood up straight and continued to laugh.

"Gaddamn excellent, sergeant! Whew, that felt good! All that power…"

"How the hell did you survive that?" she demanded. Alpha simply smiled at her.

"A good question, soldier, although I was thinking the same thing about you! Seeing that I have a group of super charged teenagers, I didn't want them to turn against me. And after seeing what you can do, I knew that it would be a matter of time before you came after me. So, I had an antiserum created to nullify lightning attacks just in case one of them had any bright ideas."

"The robberies…" Spider-Man questioned. Alpha shrugged.

"Minor things to satisfy the creators of the serum. I had to admit, the first dose did squat so I made them up it. This… is what happened."

"Holy shit; nullifying lightning? Then, that means…"

"That's right, solider; I've ionized myself!" he confirmed and charged after her. Tabitha sent lightning towards him to slow him down but was surprised at how quickly he dodged them, "You don't listen very well, sergeant. Your lightning doesn't have any effect on me. You're gonna need a plan b!"

"No problem!" Spider-Man volunteered and threw webs at him. The sticky substance rendered Alpha and Tabitha saw her chance to attack him. She went after him, throwing useless lightning at him mainly out of habit, "Sgt. Lyght; leave him to me! You can't do anything to him right now!"

"Fuck that…" she mumbled and kicked him in his stomach. Alpha kneeled in pain, "Got a serum to stop an ass whooping, you fuck?" she asked and kneed him in the head. He fell back and Tabitha went towards his face with her fist. He had surprised her, once again and grabbed her wrist. He flung her away from him and she landed with a hard thud on the pier.

"Still got a little fight in you, sergeant. That's good! Now, don't think I wanted to hurt you but I think it's best this way…" he told her. A stream of red escaped his hand and hit Tabitha, sending a wave of pain through her body. She curled up in pain but still tried to shoot out her lightning to slow him down. She was shocked that she couldn't and tried, again, "Afraid that won't work. You're ionized for the moment. It won't last long but it's long enough for me to scoop you up and take you with me."

"No…" she barely managed. Before Alpha could do so, Spider-Man swung in and gave him a swift kick.

"She's not going anywhere, pal!" he told him and hit him, again. Alpha retaliated with a red stream but Spider-Man dodged it, "Won't work on me, I'm not made of lightning." he told Alpha through punches. Tabitha still couldn't move but the pain was residing as she watched Spider-Man beat up on Alpha. Then, out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning struck him, a small one, and it caught him off guard. Tabitha saw that the White Hairs had appeared to help their boss.

"Spidey!" she could finally yell. As the group approached him, Tabitha willed herself up and tried for a lightning attack. She was glad that it worked and it sent the group's attention towards her. She kept her eyes on them but also saw that Alpha picked Spider-Man up, who she was glad was still breathing. His suit's material saved him, she thought. She felt that energy coursing through her veins once more and stared the White Hairs down, "Wanna go for round two, kiddies?"

"Bitch…" one of them mumbled and the group ran towards her. Tabitha noticed that there were puddles on the dock due to the rain and came up with an idea.

"This may hurt…" she calmly stated but smiled. She waited until the group crossed one of the puddles and sent lightning towards it, electrocuting them on the spot. They all fell to the ground, convulsing and she made her way towards the battle between Alpha and Spider-Man, "I'm coming, Spidey…" she whispered.

Spider-Man was conscious but was weak from the attack from the White Hairs. Alpha threw him into the side of a cargo bin and punched him in the face. He then sent a powerful ray of red to his chest.

"Very painful, isn't it? I'm pretty sure Lyght thought so as well! Now… to see who Spider-Man really is! I've always wondered…" Alpha said and immediately unmasked him. Tabitha stood in complete awe.

"… P?" she whispered and could do nothing but stare. Alpha, however, looked in disappointment.

"Just some damn kid? I expected someone better…" he said but sent another ray to his chest, knocking him out cold. Tabitha snapped out of her trance; her friend needed her. She did a Lightning Cloud towards Alpha and hit him in the back of his head. Alpha knelt down in pain. Tabitha looked back at him as she went towards Peter and saw that the White Hairs were finally coming to. Before Alpha could make another move, she grabbed Peter's mask, grabbed him and did a Lightning Cloud far away from the docks.

"That damn… it's time to retreat. Another mission; our last mission: capture Sgt. Lyght!"

Tabitha had a hard time but she finally gotten Peter in his bed at his Aunt May's home; she was glad that she had remembered where they lived… and that Peter always kept his window unlocked! She sighed as she quickly cleaned the blood from his face. She backed away and shook her head.

"P is Spider-Man." she thought she said it soft enough. However, it was enough to make him finally stir. He moaned and Tabitha debated on just staying there. She decided against it, quickly put his mask back on and climbed out of the window. She secretly watched until he slowly sat up and she did a Lightning Cloud back to the dorms.

Tabitha was in disbelief. It had never occurred to her that Spider-Man was Peter. Peter was almost soft-spoken with a heart of gold where Spider-Man was brave, scrappy and quick to protect the innocent. Tabitha didn't know how to face him after finding out.

Nevertheless, she had to and managed. She had seen that he walked almost gingerly the next day and asked about it. He made an excuse about playing tennis and tripping. She had told herself that she wouldn't let him know that she knew he was Spider-Man… and that she was Sgt. Lyght.

Tabitha had overslept and rushed to meet Peter at Mario's; he insisted that they both studied over coffee. The night before, she had decided to take a break from crime fighting and attended a party.

She rushed inside and sat down across from him. He smiled a little.

"Forgot?"

"Overslept! Alarm clocks are shit…" she mentioned and Peter laughed. The waitress placed her coffee on the table and she put her sugars and creamer in, "Honestly, I went to a party with my roommate last night. I always thought college parties weren't gonna be just like the ones in movies. I was wrong!" she confessed and Peter laughed.

"That's why I never go!" he admitted. Tabitha started to pull her books out of her book bag.

"You should; they really are fun!" she said and took another long sip from her cup. Peter would have paid it no mind until he saw that because she was probably in such a rush, a strand of her hair had fell out of her head wrap… a snow-white strand of hair. He only stared just to make sure he was seeing right; was Tabitha secretly a White Hair, he mused.

Tabitha saw that he was staring at her strangely.

"What?" she asked. Peter leaned over and grabbed the strand.

"Your… hair." he simply said.

"Shit!" she tried to stuff the strand back in her head wrap. Peter sat back.

"It's white. Tabby Cat, what's going on?" he softly asked. Tabitha bit her lip and pulled Peter out of his seat. She looked at the waitress.

"We'll be right back." she rushed and they went outside. She pulled him around the corner out of the sight of others.

"Are you a… White Hair?" Peter tried. Tabitha let out a sigh and pulled her head wrap completely off. Peter looked in awe. Tabby Cat is Sgt. Lyght, the thought thundered in his head. It was almost a relief for him; one of his good friends was his sidekick.

He knew that he had to simply act surprised; she didn't know that he was Spider-Man.

"Wait… **you're **Spider-Man's sidekick?" he asked with a smile. Tabitha found it cute that he was acting like he wasn't Spider-Man and slowly smiled.

"… yeah." she sighed. She took the time to tie her t-shirt around her hair properly and the two went back into the diner. Peter looked at her as she took another sip of coffee.

"Why didn't you tell us?" he silently asked. Tabitha shrugged.

"Does Spidey tell people who he is?"

"Good point." he realized. Peter debated on telling her that he was Spider-Man but she probably wouldn't believe him. He was going to tell her the next time they were out and about, "How did it happen?" he asked, thinking about Alpha.

"I was a staff sergeant in the Army. We were picked to undergo this thing code named 'Operation Recharge'. A serum would be injected and then you'd get a couple of jolts to activate it. It was supposed to give you adrenaline, speed and strength; pretty much making you a weapon. I went first but… the machine malfunctioned. It killed me. My body was dumped hundreds of miles away and I was revived by a lightning storm. That's… pretty much it." she had looked down at her coffee the whole time. Peter grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"I'm so sorry, Tabby Cat. Do you know who did this to you?" he already knew the answer. Tabitha clenched her mug, remembering all the pain he had caused her… and Peter.

"A bastard general. I really don't know if he actually did the dumping but I know he ordered it. He even turned my best friend against me. He's here in New York, now. He's the boss of the White Hairs. He had gotten court marshaled after the military found out that he wanted to turn all soldiers into weapons of mass destruction. Me and Spidey are trying to hunt him down. He's gonna pay for everything he's done… to me and to Spidey." Tabitha looked dead at him. Peter didn't let go of her hand.

"Tabby… that is your name, right?" he asked. She laughed a little.

"Yes. But, it's Tabitha Lyght."

"That's funny; it really suits you…"

"The general thought so, too…" she looked away.

"Tabby Cat, I don't think that you should be so bent up on revenge. It's sad what he's done but… I think the proper authorities should handle it. You don't know what'll happen if you're so enraged at him. You might end up hurting others instead." Peter remembered the massive lightning that came from her.

Tabitha patted his hand and shrugged.

"I'm good, P. I can handle it. He just has to pay, you know?"

"Yeah… I know."

Another night of crime fighting, Peter thought. He saw Tabitha's signal from the Statue of Liberty; three strokes of lightning. He went over there and smiled underneath his mask at the sight of his good friend. She smiled at him and approached him.

"Ready to do some web-slinging ass whoopings? I gotta feeling we'll run into Alpha tonight." she stretched and cracked her fingers. Peter laughed at her first comment but wanted to shake his head at her second.

"Sergeant, I think you're being a little overzealous about Alpha." he told her. Tabitha looked at him.

"What? What do you mean?"

"You're concentrating too much on him. I want to stop him, too but… I'm not letting it take control of me."

"You think I don't have any control?"

"I was there that night, remember? I'm just looking out for you, Lyght. That's what partners do."

"They also trust each other. You don't trust me to have control when we fight him, do you?" Tabitha was surprised that she was getting upset with Peter. He sighed.

"After that night, I don't know what to expect out of you the next time we see him. His powers render you useless. I can't have that happening, again."

"I can take care of myself!" she yelled.

"Really? You underestimated him because of your rage and he paralyzed you. It hurts me a little but I can take it; it doesn't paralyze me. I think you should let me handle Alpha and you take care of his White Hairs."

"I know what I'm doing! You know, I've been fighting way before I met you and I'll take him out my damn self!"

"No, you're not and that's the reason why! Do you hear yourself? If he hits you, again, you're no good! Then, I'll be left to fight him and his White Hairs **and **tend to you!"

"You're wrong. Spidey, you're wrong! I'm not gonna let that muthafucker lay a hand on you or me next time!" she raged.

"Sgt. Lyght, I'm sorry but… maybe you just need to sit this one out, altogether." Peter made the decision. She was raging and she would be no good if she kept that anger. She would attempt to fight Alpha, knowing that her powers do nothing to him. Then it would be a repeat of what happened the last time they fought him: with her on the ground, not being able to move and his White Hairs giving him crucifying jolts.

"P, don't do this to me!" Tabitha almost cried. Peter just stood there in shock. Wait; how did she know, he asked himself.

"What…" he was about to play off; maybe she just made a lucky guess. He watched as Tabitha took her mask off and looked at him with watery eyes.

"Cut it out, P; I know you're Spider-Man." she said softly. Peter unmasked himself and approached her.

"How did you know?"

"When you were unconscious, Alpha… unmasked you. I saw, then."

"You took me back home afterwards…" he finally had the answer to that question. Tabitha's tears fell.

"You're my best friend, P. It burned me that he had hurt you. I don't want him doing that to you, again. Okay; you're right; I may be obsessed with fighting him. And, it's not the fact that he made me a mutant. But… he left me for dead. He had me dumped hundreds of miles away from my home in a gaddamn alley! I just want him to pay…" she cried. Peter embraced her and hugged her tight.

"Tabby Cat…" he was about to comfort until that unwanted, familiar sting hit him. He knelt down and looked up to see what had hit him. Alpha and his White Hairs were on the bank. One of them sent a wave of lightning towards Peter to knock him out while Alpha grabbed Tabitha.

"What do we do with him, boss?"

"Leave him. I got what I wanted." Alpha said and gave her another painful dose to knock her out.

Peter finally came to and immediately realized that Tabitha was gone, her mask still on the ground. He put his back on, grabbed hers and looked around. Alpha had taken her. He wouldn't had killed her, Peter thought as he swung back into the city; he had mentioned that he wanted to take her with him earlier. The question was, to where? His hideout, he thought but had no clue where to start looking. This wasn't Tabitha's fault; they both had been taken off guard. He didn't condone killing but he made a promise that Alpha would feel his wrath for taking his best friend.

Peter had caught a break and saw a White Hair lurking on the street. At first, he wanted to approach him and try to get answers out of him. He decided to follow him. His luck continued as the boy stopped in front of an abandoned three story office building, where a few other White Hairs were standing around outside. When they saw the boy, they all went inside. Peter jumped onto the building and looked inside of one of the cloudy windows. The first floor was where the White Hairs played and goofed around. Peter crawled to the second floor and saw that there were a few rooms. Quickly looking through the windows, he saw that some rooms were used for sleeping rooms, some for training and there was a large kitchen area. The third floor was separated into two large rooms: both looked like labs. The window was open on one side and before Peter made his raid, he looked in. He immediately saw that Tabitha was being held in a round bubble tube filled with water. She had on an oxygen mask to help her breathe and she was unconscious. There were two people, a man and a woman, checking the machines that were surrounding the lab-like room. Alpha walked in and looked at Tabitha.

"Status." he ordered. The woman looked at him with sorrowful green eyes.

"Stable. Heart rate is normal." she drew her eyes down at a sheet of paper. Peter saw that Tabitha finally shifted, panicked a little at her surroundings and then her eyes narrowed at Alpha. He approached the tube and smiled.

"Ah, you're finally up! Good! Are we ready?" Alpha asked the man. He looked over a machine.

"Ten minutes, at least."

"Tabitha, you're about to make history, again." it sounded sickly loving. She placed her hands on the glass and started to charge up, "Ah, ah, ah; I wouldn't do that if I was you! Water is an excellent conduit, remember? How you laid out my soldiers with that jolt…" Alpha warned. Tabitha reluctantly stopped charging, "Now, then; you'll be let out shortly. Let me remind you that if you try anything, I'll only nullify your powers, again. Don't want to feel that anymore. It's been brought to my attention that you're the most powerful soldier I've created. Well, I guess it's unfair for me to say that I created you; it was a lucky malfunction that made you who you are. Hmm… you want some answers, don't you? Guess it's only fair. Yes, you did die when that machine malfunctioned. To have a casualty while Operation Recharge was on the up and up was no good. So, I had you disposed of. No one would think of looking in Memphis for you. And, I had told your fellow soldiers and your family that you were being deployed. I saw the look of concern on Tony's face and knew that he could be recruited easily; all I had to do was promise to send him overseas to be reunited with you. Operation Recharge had been disbanded but we had already came up with a better serum, a better procedure. It turned Tony's hair white like yours but it made him almost like you. The effect only lasted forty-five minutes. I needed to make it last longer. That's when I heard about you roasting bums in that alley; I knew it was you. I sent Tony to investigate. Well, we know how that came out. How was it, to kill your own best friend?" he asked. Tabitha twisted about violently but Alpha simply laughed, "What did he do, Tabitha; say that he'll never stop chasing after you? That would be something he would say; the boy was weakly in love with you. Don't blame him; I had always wondered how you would be? I knew that the Army would get involved and he would either be put in stockade or die so I did what I should've done in the first place: I took a sample of his blood. Used it to make the serum better. I was put in stockade, instead, though but with some help, I got out. Promised the guy he could be just as powerful as Tony was. Some side effects put him out of commission. But, after coming here, we worked out a few kinks, started on my smaller soldiers." he continued. Peter saw that Alpha loved to hear himself talk and had been debating on jumping in on him but he knew that would be foolish: he needed to save Tabitha first, "You're wondering why have I gone through all this trouble to get to you. Your powers, Sgt. Lyght. Your blood, actually. It will be used to complete the serum and there will be more out there like you. Our plan is to become mercenaries for hire. My soldiers will be shipped out all over the world. Just to think; no more conflicts, no more wars. Everyone will be frightened that our mercenaries will appear. Yes, I said 'our'. You won't be left out of the loop. We'll be together in this. You will be the true Alpha of this operation!" he announced. Alpha approached the tube and lovingly caressed it. Tabitha banged on it but he laughed, "You know it makes me horny to see you like that! You'll be out soon and then we'll… consummate our reunion. Let me round up my soldiers. Ten minutes, my love." he said and left the room. Peter saw his chance, then. He was about to go in but Tabitha looked at him. Her eyes perked up and Peter noticed that she was trying to tell him something. The woman approaching her distracted him.

"Sgt. Lyght… I'm so sorry for this. We had no other choice. He would've…"

"Enough, Cheryl!" the man snapped. She reluctantly joined him. Tabitha looked back up at Peter and he saw that she pointed down. He looked at where she was pointing and saw what looked like a latch. Peter noticed that it was attached to the door on the tube; all he had to do was undo the latch and Tabitha could kick herself out. He aimed and shot a small web towards it and it unhooked.

"What was that?" the man turned towards Tabitha. It was too late; with a swift kick, the door opened and water spewed out on the floor. Tabitha snatched the oxygen mask off and immediately grabbed Cheryl by her neck. She threw her hand out towards the man who was fast approaching her.

"Who dumped me?" she hissed at the man. She was already charging up, the man saw but he said nothing. She tightened her grip on Cheryl, "Who… dumped me?" she tried, again. Cheryl coughed.

"We had no other choice; he was going to kill us if…" that was all Tabitha let her say. She had charged both arms and sent electricity flying to both of them.

"Tabitha!" Peter jumped in the room. She was raged; he saw it in her eyes, as she dropped Cheryl and stormed out of the room. He looked down at the two and knew there was nothing he could do for them, the stench of burnt flesh filling the room. His goal was to stop Tabitha. He tried to follow her out of the room and saw that she was gone. Tabitha had did a Lightning Cloud to the next floor down and encountered some White Hairs. She grabbed both of the kids by their throats and lifted them up.

"Where's Alpha?" she demanded. They were in so much shock; they didn't think to electrocute her.

"We don't know, we don't know!" the girl panicked.

"Wrong answer…" Tabitha told them and sent powerful waves of electricity through their bodies, charring them immediately. Peter caught up to her.

"Tabitha, stop!" he yelled but she had fallen death from her rage. She dropped the two kids and continued down the stairs. Everyone she ran into had gotten electrocuted and all Peter had to do was follow the trail of dead bodies she had left. Tabitha finally made it to the bottom floor and saw Alpha surrounded by his soldiers.

"Alpha!" she yelled. Everyone turned around. The White Hairs didn't even wait for his command, they charged after her. Without even trying, Peter thought, Tabitha charged up and sent a massive wave of electricity towards the group, killing most. Alpha just looked in surprise.

"Out-fucking-standing, babes." he smirked. Tabitha did a Lightning Cloud and was immediately in his face. She charged up with all her might, placed her hands on his face and let all her energy loose. The hit sent him flying across the room and she met him with another Lightning Cloud. She gave his face a roundhouse kick, releasing even more lightning, sending him back to the other side of the room. Tabitha was in his face in seconds, again and punched him with all her might. Alpha back handed her, drawing blood from her mouth. Tabitha wiped at her mouth and looked at him, eyes full of rage. She clasped her hands together and swung at his face, making him land on his back. She started stomping on him, lightning strikes coming out of her feet. Peter was amazed that Alpha was being stunned by her attacks and to make things even, he webbed the surviving White Hairs' hands. Then Alpha caught Tabitha's foot and sent a bright flash of red to her foot. The waves cascaded through her body and she dropped to the floor. He got up, grabbed her by her neck and sent another wave of red into her.

"You… stupid… bitch! You were trying to kill me, weren't you? You could've had all of this!" he raged. Peter swung over and kicked Alpha in the face. He wrapped Alpha up with his webs and tried to get to Tabitha. Alpha applied his own powers and freed himself. He grabbed Peter by the throat and flung him across the room. Tabitha looked up wearily only to have that painfully tingly sensation go through her body, again, "I don't need you; once you're dead, I'll just take your blood and make more soldiers!" Alpha stated and zapped her, once more. Peter threw a web at his hand before Alpha could attack Tabitha again. He swung back over and attacked Alpha. Alpha threw a stream of red towards him but Peter dodged it. He came after Peter, determined to get rid of him and then he would go back and kill Tabitha. Peter jumped over him and kicked him in his back. Another surge of red went flying by him. This was what Peter had wanted; to draw his attention away from Tabitha. He figured that if he stalled Alpha long enough, he would be able to grab Tabitha and leave. He went across the other side of the room in hopes that Alpha would follow and he did, sending infuriated streams of red after him. Alpha was getting frustrated and wasn't accurate with his attacks, Peter saw. Peter simply jumped and crawled all over the room, in hopes of simply tiring Alpha out, every now and then coming in close range and hitting him.

Peter finally landed on a wall and Alpha charged up. He sent a sea of red sparks towards Peter and Peter narrowly jumped out of the way. What he didn't realize was that he had been covering a mirror and the sparks ricocheted back towards Alpha, sending surges throughout his body. He yelled out in pain and finally collapsed. Peter sighed and looked over at Tabitha, who was barely moving. He went up to her.

"Tabby Cat…" he knelt down and picked her up. She wearily smiled at him.

"Now, that's what I call a web-slinging ass whooping!" she managed and he laughed.


	8. Closure

Chapter Eight: Closure

The police were called in and Alpha was taken into custody. He was locked up in solitary confinement in a mental hospital for the rest of his life. Peter went to Dr. Castillo and told him about the White Hairs and Tabitha and had produced a procedure to return the children back to normal. Tabitha called Jamila and she met her at the hospital the day of the procedure. Tabitha was in the hospital bed when Jamila walked in with Peter and MJ. Tabitha smiled at the three.

"Tabs!" Jamila said and hugged her. She smiled.

"I'm finally gonna be normal, doc."

"So I've heard. You know I had to be here for this. Thank you, Peter."

"Not my doing; I'm just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!" he said and they all laughed.

"Guys… can I talk to P for a minute?" Tabitha asked. Jamila and Mary Jane nodded and left out the room. She grabbed his hand, "I never got a chance to thank you, myself… and apologize. I fucked that one away!"

"Apology accepted but Dr. Castillo says that there's a mutant strand that caused your powers and it's more likely that it's behind all that rage. What Alpha said and did to you didn't help matters, either. Tabby Cat… you know we make one hell of a team. Dr. Castillo can give you something that can control your rage; you sure you want to go through this?" Peter asked. Tabitha squeezed his hand.

"It was fun, P. But… I miss my family. I miss being normal. Having these powers, just controlling them is a lot of work. I want to be able to touch someone and not think about it, trying not to shock them. Maybe I'll get bit by a radioactive bug and join you, again." she smiled. Peter lightly hit her and laughed.

"Funny! But, I understand."

"What about you? Wouldn't you like to be normal, again?"

"I kinda like being Spider-Man. I enjoy being a hero and helping people. I think about it but then, if I wasn't Spider-Man, I would just be Peter Parker. Boring Peter Parker."

"Some of us like that boring Peter Parker." Tabitha smiled. Dr. Castillo came in with Mary Jane and Jamila.

"Miss Lyght, are we ready?"

"Cocked, locked and ready to rock, doc!"

Tabitha was a bit worried. It had been a week since her procedure and she knew something wasn't right. Dr. Castillo walked into her room and tried to smile at her.

"Tabitha, can you charge up for me?" he simply asked, closing the door. She sighed and did so. Just as she had thought, she could still charge up, watching the mini bolts flow around her fingers. She looked at Dr. Castillo.

"I don't understand. You cured the kids. Or is it supposed to take this long?"

"Tabitha… the procedure didn't work. I ran as many tests as I could but I couldn't come up with anything else. Nothing's changed, at all. Nothing will change. Your strand is far more advanced than the children I cured."

"Well, then, come up with a more potent treatment."

"It's not that easy, Tabitha. This procedure wasn't easy! We'll have to do more research but that'll mean for you to stay here longer than expected. For right now, you'll have to face facts: you're still a mutant." he told her. Tabitha plopped down on the bed and sighed.

"I guess that's that, then. Doc, I gotta see my family. I guess they'll just have to see me like this. But… if something comes up, you'll tell me?"

"You're leaving? You're free to stay here until…"

"I miss my family, doc. I gotta be with them. They gotta know the truth about what happened to me." she explained. Dr. Castillo sighed.

"If that's how you really feel, Tabitha. I'm sure Peter's gonna miss you."

"Do me a favor, doc; don't tell him that the procedure didn't work. Just… tell him that everything went well and I left early. I don't want him to worry about anything. I've done enough…"

Tabitha looked around the bus depot and sighed a little. This time around, there would be no triplets hugging her legs, no married couple watching her leave as she went up to the counter. She sighed as she looked at the board, looking at the arrival and departure times for Chattanooga. She debated on Memphis but while searching for the times, she ran across an unfamiliar town: Gotham City. She had never heard of it and couldn't ignore the tug she felt when she looked at the name.

"Buying a ticket, miss?" the guy behind the counter asked. Tabitha kept her eyes on Gotham City.

"Yeah. One one-way ticket to Gotham City in the morning." she finally decided; Tabitha had this urge that something was there for her in Gotham City.

The man looked up from his newspaper and studied the lady in more detail.

"You don't look like someone from Gotham City."

"Visiting a relative."

Tabitha arrived in Gotham City the next afternoon. Gotham City was actually a large island, with two bridges going in and out: she had arrived from the Brown Bridge. When she got off the bus, she was surprised that although it was a sunny day out, the city overall looked grim and dark. Gothic-like buildings reigned in this city, with some being more than a hundred years old. The downtown area was dank and it seemed that it reeked of criminals. Tabitha kept a close tab on her bag even though she knew that she could take care of anyone with a quick zap.

There was something important that she had to do; Tabitha located the nearest phone booth. She dialed her parents' house number.

"Lyght residence." her mother responded and it put tears in her eyes.

"Mom…" she smiled.

"… Tabitha? Tabby, is this really you?"

"Hi, mom…"

"Curtis! Curtis, pick up the phone; it's our daughter!" her mother almost yelled. Tabitha immediately heard a phone being picked up.

"Tabitha…" her father's strong voice was heard.

"Hey, dad…"

"Sweetheart, where are you? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Are you in jail…" the questions sprayed out of her mother's mouth. She laughed a little.

"Mom, I'm fine; I'm fine."

"We were told that you were AWOL. What happened, honey? Are you on the run?"

"Dad; guys: listen for a second, okay? I'm not in Tennessee. I'm somewhere else. I can't tell you right now but don't worry; I'm not in any trouble or anything like that. All I can tell you right now is that I didn't go AWOL. I can't explain it right now. But… there are some things that I have to take care of before I can come home."

"So… you're not in trouble?" her mom asked. Tabitha laughed.

"No. I'm fine. I'm unharmed."

"You're not pregnant, are you? Cuz, this ain't the 60s; you can come back home if you are."

"Dad!"

"Your father's right, Tabby. I welcome it, as a matter of fact. We need grandchildren."

"Geez; I'm not pregnant! I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm fine."

"When can we see you, honey? Your brothers miss you. Terry's playing football, now." her father stated. Terry was the baby of the family at the age of fourteen. Tabitha smiled.

"That's good for him. I'll come home soon; I promise."

"Will you at least call every now and then?"

"Yes. That's a definite."

Tabitha walked out of the bus depot and looked around. According to the map that she had quickly studied, she was in close proximity to the Gotham City Police Department. She needed a place to stay and a job, as soon as possible. Instead of heading towards the police station, she made a left and walked until she was in front of a massive building. The sign stated "Wayne Enterprises" and Tabitha knew that she was at Wayne Tower. She had noticed that a lot of buildings and areas in Gotham City had "Wayne" in them and figured that Wayne had founded the city.

She walked inside the building and soon felt very out of place; everyone there was in business attire. She was wearing a thick, long sleeved shirt; blue jeans and her signature head wrap, in black. A security guard scoffed at her.

"Do you have any business here?" he rudely asked. Tabitha thought about simply giving the guy a quick jolt to knock him out but it would only provoke his partner sitting at the adjacent desk. Instead, she just looked at him.

"I was just trying to see if I could get a job…"

"You can go to the library and post an application and résumé there." he almost pushed her along. Maybe she didn't want to work there, after all, with the security treating people that way, she thought. Tabitha turned and immediately ran into someone.

"Oh; excuse me…" she apologized and looked up at the man. He was what she would have expected of a typical Hollywood movie male: tall, tanned and very handsome. He was dressed somewhat business casual, wearing dark slacks with a matching open jacket. His cream dress shirt was unbuttoned at the top, with the collar laying perfectly against the collar of his jacket. He smiled down at Tabitha.

"No problem. You're… not from here, are you?"

"No." Tabitha looked at him. If he wasn't so handsome, she would have been offended that it seemed as if he was hitting on her, "Why'd you ask?"

"Because everyone knows me here. Bruce Wayne." he introduced himself, holding his hand out. Tabitha shook it but then realized his name.

"Wayne? As in… the name of this building and the fifty million other things around here Wayne?" she asked. Bruce laughed a little.

"In the flesh. That accent; southern?"

"Born and raised. Tennessee."

"Ah; great mountains. Good for hiking."

"I wouldn't know; mainly city for me. Mr. Wayne… would you happen to be hiring for anything around here?"

"Hmm… I think I could find something for you. I have a quick meeting but if you want to wait around, I can take you to my office."

Tabitha and Bruce were walking to his office on the top floor. Tabitha marveled at the art on this floor; it was like stepping into another world.

"Mr. Wayne, I hate to criticize…"

"By all means; I like suggestive criticism."

"Your security system could go for an upgrade."

"Oh? I have the top security system known to man…"

"Then, why didn't the metal detector go off when I went through it?" she calmly asked. Bruce stopped walking and looked at her. That was when he noticed that she was carrying a bag. Tabitha saw that his mood quickly changed and she had to smile, "No; I'm not carrying a bomb or weapon or anything like that! I do have metal objects in my bag." she pointed out. Bruce found that odd as well.

"Hmm… a glitch in the system… I'll have to get someone to look at that."

"If you don't mind, Mr. Wayne… I could look for you."

"You specialize in security systems?"

"Electric engineering, actually. I like to fiddle with wires and stuff. It could just be a loose wire or something."

"You might be right. I tell you what; I'll get you some tools and let you look at it."

"Right now?"

"Of course. The sooner, the better." Bruce told her.

Tabitha enjoyed the fact that the rude guard, Simon, had to idly stand by and watch as she dismantled a portion of the door-sized metal detector. She looked at the electrical wirings and smiled.

"Thought so! It's a loose wire, Mr. Wayne. Quite a few of 'em."

"Like someone's tampered with them?"

"No; they would've been fried or missing altogether. Just normal wear and tear. I can fuse them to where it won't happen, again… ever."

"Really?"

"Sir, do you think that's safe?" Simon asked Bruce. He glanced at Tabitha, who was still studying the maze of wires. It was a bold announcement; was she that good?

"I want to see her at least try it. Go ahead." Bruce agreed. Tabitha smiled and went through her own bag for her tools. She put her safety goggles and gloves on.

"It'll only take a moment…" she almost didn't finish her sentence; she was already placing the fake mini torch on the wires and applied her lightning to them. Bruce looked on in amusement; the wires were actually being fused together not in a melted mess but finely, precisely. Her hands were too close to the sparks than he liked, even with the gloves on. She wasn't flinching as they randomly flew around her hands. He started thinking that maybe he could talk to her about manufacturing her mini torch but before long, she was placing the wires back in its compartment, putting the metal detector back together, "There you go, Mr. Wayne." she pulled her goggles off. Tabitha looked around and grabbed a paper clip off Simon's desk, placed it in her pocket. She walked through the metal detector and it immediately went off. Bruce and Simon looked on in amazement.

"Wow…"

"Tabitha, is it?"

"Yes, sir."

"You're hired, Tabitha."


	9. A New Beginning

Chapter Nine: A New Beginning

Tabitha wasn't hired as head of security or anything like that. She was hired as the head electrician of Wayne Tower. It wasn't a glorious job but it paid a glorious salary. Tabitha didn't mind it, actually; she didn't have to wear a stuffy suit and Bruce was kind enough to let her wear her t-shirt head wrap as long as it matched the color of the uniform he had designed for her. Wayne Tower had independent electricians work on all the electrical units in the building. However, Tabitha was proving that she could do the jobs of the six men Bruce contracted out easily; he saved a heap of money getting rid of them and hiring her.

Tabitha was responsible for the upgrade and upkeep of any and everything electrical in the building. To keep her working, Bruce also let her go through any building that he owned. Some of the jobs were quick and tedious like the metal detector one but others were having her go through full computer servers or even the lighting of the whole building.

Tabitha found a nice apartment in the Financial District. Although it was nice, the scenery was vague, overlooking the City Hall District. The area wasn't as crime-filled as the areas surrounding the Upper East Side and the points north and it only took her twenty minutes to get to work via the city buses.

A month had gone by since Tabitha had come into town and she was enjoying not being a super heroine for a change. She was using her powers for work, only. She wanted to call Peter and let him know where she was but she knew that he would attempt to track her down and talk her into coming back to the hospital. Therefore, she had Jamila relay messages to him.

Tabitha had finished rewiring Bruce's office for lighting when he grabbed her toolbox for her.

"Evening, Mr. Wayne. Just finished up here. Now, when you turn your lights on, they won't be so dim!" she smiled. Bruce could only shake his head and look at the numerous lights in his office.

"And, here I was thinking that I just needed new light bulbs…" he actually laughed. Tabitha smiled.

"I reconfigured the wiring so that it wouldn't burn so much electricity, too. Am I done for the day?"

"Of course. I was wondering, Miss Lyght… have you been to the Fashion District yet?"

"Actually, no. I've been meaning to take a tour but… ah, I don't wanna run into a bad neighborhood!"

"Good thinking. I'm meeting a friend there; would you like to join me?" he asked. Tabitha couldn't help but to smile; Bruce Wayne was definitely a handsome man and she wouldn't mind being seen in public with him. Tabitha really liked her new boss; he had money to throw away but he came into work business casual dressed. She had also heard that he was a party animal, staying up and out at all times of night, throwing lavish parties at his mansion, on a date with a different, beautiful woman every week. She was curious as to what those women saw in him, besides a gorgeous face and loads of money. Maybe that was all there was to see, Tabitha thought to herself.

"Sure."

The Fashion District lived up to its name; it was home to all the up-to-date fashion boutiques, fashion designers and a handful of fashion supermodels who could afford to live there. The diner that Bruce and Tabitha had walked in looked out of place in the area; a classic diner with large windows, red and white squared linoleum and red retro leather seating.

"This is one of my favorite places to eat."

"Really?" it shocked Tabitha. With all his money, she would've expected him to prefer one of the restaurants in her neighborhood, ones where she wouldn't go in unless she had a date.

"Just because I'm rich doesn't mean I don't enjoy the simple things in life. Besides; the coffee's great here." Bruce saw that Tabitha was shocked at his choice of restaurant.

The two had been sitting, talking and laughing for about twenty minutes when Tabitha noticed a detective walk in; the guy was still wearing his holster. Where Bruce had a classic attractiveness to him, this man was striking. A little over six feet tall and lean, the detective had a smooth, chocolate brown complexion with whiskey eyes. The sleeves of his shirt had been cuffed up to a few inches above his elbows, exposing muscular arms.

The detective immediately noticed Tabitha and smiled; she had a natural beauty about herself. Her light brown eyes were almost like his, as they sparkled as she smiled back. Bruce turned around and smiled at him.

"Ethan…" he greeted him as he made his way to the table. Ethan gave Bruce a quick handshake but couldn't keep his eyes off the woman, "This is Tabitha Lyght. Tabitha, this is my good friend, Detective Ethan Bennett." Bruce introduced. Tabitha stuck her hand out, expecting a handshake. However, Ethan gently grabbed her hand and pressed his full lips on them, making Tabitha warm up.

"A pleasure." he smiled and sat down beside her.

"Tabitha is my new head electrician. She's actually my only one, now."

"Really? It's not too much for you to handle?" Ethan asked Tabitha. She took a sip of her coffee and smiled.

"A piece of cake. Mr. Wayne wouldn't put too much on my plate to handle."

"Southern. Figured you weren't from here. Bruce is a good guy but he has a habit of expecting a lot out of something little…" Ethan smiled at Bruce. Bruce smirked.

"Thanks." he said and Tabitha laughed.

Tabitha was glad for the day off. She had made plans on doing nothing that day, just sitting around the house and maybe watch a little TV. Her bagels popped out of the toaster and she was about to get them until there was a knock on her door. She wasn't expecting any company, especially that early in the morning and figured that it might be Bruce, asking her to do a quick job. Tabitha grabbed a shirt and wrapped it around her hair before she answered the door.

"Detective; everything okay?" she was actually happy to see Ethan. The weather had changed since they had first met and he was wearing a simple jacket, probably police issued, Tabitha thought. She could make the outline of his holster beneath it and figured that he had just gotten on duty.

Ethan smiled at Tabitha; she looked ravishing in a black tank top and silk pajama pants. She was donning another head wrap he had noticed and reminded himself to ask her about it.

"I was in the neighborhood. I wanted to ask what you were doing in a couple of hours. Maybe you'd like a quick tour of Gotham?" he smiled. A date, Tabitha thought happily. It had been a while since she had one and was elated to be asked on one. She leaned on her door and smiled.

"That sounds nice. How'd you know where I lived, though?"

"I'm a detective, remember?" Ethan looked deeply into her eyes. Tabitha couldn't help but to melt.

"An interesting start to a good relationship…" she smiled.

After a long afternoon of sightseeing, Ethan and Tabitha rested on a bench by Amusement Mile. Tabitha glanced at the rides for a moment and then back at Ethan who had been staring at her.

"Thank you for the tour."

"No problem."

"Must be pretty hard being a cop around here…"

"It has its moments. Not as bad as it used to be a few years back. Don't let how the city looks fool you; it's not all that bad."

"Huh. So, what happened to change the crime rate around here?" Tabitha was curious. Ethan let a little laugh out.

"The Batman." he smiled a little, shaking his head. Tabitha gave him a weird look.

"The… 'Batman'…"

"Gotham City's own vigilante."

"Let me guess; he's a man who dresses up like a bat…"

"Smart and beautiful!" Ethan smiled at her. Tabitha blushed, "It's difficult for some of us. Our police chief wants no room for vigilante justice; he thinks it makes us all look bad."

"But, he's a good guy, right?" Tabitha asked. This was sounding more and more like the situation with Peter, she felt.

"He makes our job less stressful, if you ask me. I don't mind it. My partner, Yin… that's a different story!"

"Who is he; The Batman?" Tabitha asked. Ethan looked straight ahead and shrugged.

"Could be anyone in Gotham. The chief's made it our number one priority to stop him."

"Detective… are **you **The Batman?" Tabitha smiled. It would be her luck that the man she was suddenly attracted to would be a superhero vigilante. It would make it easier for her to tell him even more about herself and her powers.

Ethan laughed and looked at her.

"This is the second time I had to remind you that I'm a detective! It wouldn't make sense for someone on the force to be The Batman, anyway."

"Yeah; you're right. Oh, well; wishful thinking…" Tabitha looked across the Gotham River. A little over three miles away, Ethan had pointed out Bruce's home, Wayne Manor.

"Wishful thinking?"

"Yeah! If you were The Batman. I could be dating The Batman…" Tabitha's smile widened. Ethan laughed even harder.

"It's good to know that you're looking forward to dating me! Ready to head back?" he asked, getting up. He offered his hand for Tabitha as she nodded.

"Let's not kid each other; it's plain to see that we're attracted to each other. Unless you're already spoken for…"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

"Nope. So, it's settled, then!" Tabitha smiled. Ethan looked down at her and smiled back. He pulled her closer to him by her hand.

"I guess so. Southerners sure do move fast…" he continued to smile. Ethan was about to kiss Tabitha until a shrill scream filled the air. He looked up and saw a masked man running towards them, carrying an obviously stolen purse. The woman behind the guy continued to scream for help. Tabitha turned around slightly and saw the situation as well. She turned back to Ethan and saw that he already had his hand underneath his jacket, getting ready to draw his weapon. Tabitha laid a gentle hand over his, making Ethan immediately look down at her. Before he knew it, without looking, as the would-be robber got closer to them, Tabitha stuck her foot out and tripped the guy. She made sure that she applied just a tad bit of a jolt as she tripped him, making him immobile. It indeed shocked him that he felt like he was zapped a little and he looked at Tabitha. She gave him a quick glare, letting him know that he did feel an electric jolt just as he had thought. Without a word, the masked man scrambled up and continued to run but left the purse behind. The woman ran and grabbed her purse off the ground. She looked at Tabitha.

"Oh; thank you. Thank you very much!"

"No problem, ma'am." she slightly smiled. As the woman left, Tabitha drew her attention back to Ethan, who continued to stare at her. She realized that she still had her hand over his weapon when he lowered his hand from underneath his jacket and placed it over hers.

"He's getting away…"

"He'll do something else stupid soon."

"Why did you stop me?"

"It would've made the situation worse. Plus… I wanted to stay close to you. You would've given chase and would forget about what we were about to do." Tabitha explained. Ethan pulled her closer once again.

"I highly doubt that!" he smiled. He lowered his head down to kiss her once again until he heard a car pull up. Had Ethan not glanced out of the corner of his eye, he would've went ahead and kissed Tabitha. However, he did and looked up; it was his partner, Ellen Yin. To be political correct, he called her oriental. She had jet black, long hair that was always up in a ponytail with maple brown eyes. Tabitha had noticed that her eyebrows were arched in a way to make it look as if she was always angry. Typical cop, she thought.

"Bennett. The chief's been looking for you. We gotta roll." she made sure it was short and sweet. Her attention was fully on Ethan at first but then realized that he had company, female company.

"Yin, this is Tabitha Lyght. Tabitha, this is my partner, Detective Ellen Yin. I guess we have to cut this short. I'll see you later?" he looked at Tabitha. She smiled.

"You're the detective; you know where to find me." she almost laughed. Ethan laughed for her and before he could rush off to the car, he lifted her chin up and gave her a nice, lingering kiss.

"Before I forget, huh? I'll see you later."

"This is weird. Alfred, take a look at this." Bruce was in the Batcave, looking up information. Alfred approached the large screen, where a picture of a young woman in a military uniform was being broadcasted, "Tabitha Lyght: she's from where she says she's from. She never mentioned that she was in the military."

"That is a problem, sir?"

"Actually, no. The problem is that she said she specializes in electric engineering. Looking under her name, I find nothing; no classes taken, no degree, anything like that. But, under her social, she attended Columbia University… under the last name Lindsay."

"Maybe the young lady was married at the time…"

"There's no record of it."

"What if the marriage was annulled? There would definitely be no record of it."

"Hmm… maybe you're right, Alfred."

"A current suspect, sir?"

"No; a current employee. The best electrician I've ever seen. There's something about her."

"An electrician, you say? Maybe she is out to sabotage your equipment, sir?"

"No. She didn't even know who I was when we first met. And, I check behind her work; she's genuinely made everything indestructible. There's just something about her. Something that she's hiding…"

Ethan planted a tender kiss on Tabitha's forehead and sighed.

"I'll come by after all this is done. Is that okay?"

"Perfect. The life of a cop…" Tabitha sighed. Ethan smiled a little.

"Guess that's why most of us aren't married!"

"If I wanna date a cop, I guess I'll have to learn to live with it! Be safe." she said as Ethan left. Tabitha went to her bedroom, let down that their night was cut short, once again. She sighed as she decided that she was going to change for bed but as she was heading towards her night dresser, she paused and looked at her book bag. The only physical evidence of her crime-fighting days was still in that bag. She took her costume out and laid it on the bed, studying it. She had heard that Peter recently had his hands full, with an alternate Spider-Man suit that tried to take him over but ended up taking over the mind and body of another photographer at The Daily Bugle, Eddie Brock. It had seemed eons ago that she would don her own suit every other night to try to pursue Alpha, who had already been de-ionized and returned to normal but still in the confines of the mental hospital. Tabitha found it a bit relieving now that she no longer fought, had no one to pursue, nothing to revenge, the rage that fueled her was gone.

She was almost done reminiscing when she heard the all too familiar sirens of the GCPD patrolling the streets. She thought about Ethan's safety and how Chief Rojas was always breathing down his and his partner's neck about capturing and unmasking The Batman. He was ruthless and relentless about it and it was driving Ethan crazy. She badly wanted for one night where Ethan didn't have to think about his mixed feelings about the situation. Maybe if someone was to catch The Batman for them or show Rojas that The Batman isn't bad, then Ethan wouldn't have to worry so.

It coursed through just as much as the mutant surges did through her body. Without hesitation, Tabitha once again put on her costume. It felt great being back in it and it gave her that heroic sense that she had felt when she first put it on in New York. The final touch was the mask. Tabitha made sure that it was snug around her face, climbed out of her window and did a Lightning Cloud through Gotham City.

Tabitha's quick tour was stopped short as she had almost passed by an alley where there was a commotion. She had bypassed a lot of small, petty commotion, making it her mission to find The Batman, only. However, this one was different. She hid in the dark corners of the alley and watched as two men fought a little. One had wild and thick green hair and white skin; it looked almost like Halloween white paint. The other was unmistaken The Batman, wearing all black. His mask concealed everything except his mouth and jaw line, just like hers, and his cape flowed to the ground. The material was unlike anything she had ever seen and she noticed that he had on a utility belt with a yellow bat symbol. Someone in the same field of work as her, she asked herself. She made a mental note to ask Bruce if he knew who The Batman could be.

And, it looked as if The Batman was holding his own against this Halloween character but she had saw some type of mist being blown into The Batman's face and the green-haired guy went on the attack. She had to admit that he was very agile, almost like an acrobat, and his fighting skills were indeed high. Tabitha had seen enough of his assault on The Batman. She came out of the shadows when he grabbed The Batman by the shirt of his costume. The guy turned around and Tabitha had gotten a better look at his face. She smiled a little.

"Oh, I get it; a joker!" she realized. The guy, a bit disappointed, put The Batman down and frowned at her.

"It's 'Joker'. And, who might you be?" he asked. Tabitha's smile widened as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Your worst nightmare…" she looked him dead in his red eyes and sent a jolt through his body. Joker fell to the ground in pain. The Batman glanced in slight amusement as this lightning woman looked at him.

"Thanks…" he mumbled. Tabitha noticed that his voice was raspy and low, as if he was hiding how he really sounded. Tabitha made a note that she might have to disguise hers as well, seeing that she was the only southerner in Gotham City it seemed.

"The Batman…" she tried to pronounce every letter in the word; it was going to be harder than she thought, she realized, "I finally get to see you in person." she tried again and found that sounding seductive suited her better. She drew her attention back to Joker, who still laid on the ground in pain, "You really had your hands… full…" she turned around and saw that he had disappeared. Tabitha huffed, "A man of little words… very smart."

She had enjoyed giving Joker the little jolt that she did and concluded that she would start moonlighting as a super heroine once more. She wasn't in the military anymore and had decided to retire her first costume. She really liked the black latex The Batman wore, with its sleek design but she feared that the rubber would weaken her powers. She stayed with the black as she redesigned her outfit, choosing a nylon/spandex mixed fabric for her pants. Instead of a halter-top, which she had learned the hard way in New York that it only benefited her during the warmer months, Tabitha made her top long sleeved out of the same material. She had to admit that she liked the way the material felt; it insulated her natural body heat, which would make her feel warm even during the cold winter Gotham City nights.

Tabitha had been invited by Bruce to have a little lunch in the Fashion District.

"So I see that you're seeing more and more of Ethan." he pointed out. Tabitha smiled at the fact.

"As much as GCPD will let me…" she didn't mean for it to be a joke but Bruce laughed anyway. He had to admit that Tabitha had a good point; with Chief Rojas so adamant about unmasking The Batman, that meant longer hours for his best friend and his partner. He wished that he could make less appearances as The Batman but certain situations came up that GCPD wouldn't be able to handle without him.

Bruce was reminded of the close call he received a few nights prior with Joker; had the electric girl not shown up, he would've fallen prey to his Joker gas. Another vigilante, he mused. How she conjured up electricity amused him and he wondered if she would cross his path, again. She was harmless enough; it actually seemed as if she was excited to meet him. Her hair was what almost put him in a trance; it was perfectly white.

Bruce looked at Tabitha and studied her head wrap. It was always a t-shirt wrapped around and tied in a tight bun in the back; today's color was red to match her red sweatpants.

"Tabitha… why do you wear a shirt around your head?"

"Oh… it's a fashion statement. My dearest friend used to wear it all the time. She said it was quicker than fooling with it! I tried it… and now it's part of who I am!" she explained in her thick, southern accent. Bruce just smiled. Wasn't her; the electric girl was sultry, a bit seductive.

"Tabitha… I want to ask you something. I was wondering if you would want to take another important job."

"You're the boss, Mr. Wayne…"

"No more of that 'Mr. Wayne' stuff. I would like for you to upgrade my security system…"

"I thought that's what I was doing…"

"… In my home. I want you to work your magic in Wayne Manor." Bruce clarified. Tabitha almost dropped her cup of coffee.

"… Bruce… why?"

"Your work is unbelievable. You've made all of my buildings burglarproof. I would like for my home to be the same way."

"You can count on me, Mr. W… Bruce."


	10. Something New

Chapter Ten: Learn Something New Everyday

Tabitha enjoyed being Bruce's newly appointed personal electrician. If anything, along with dating his best friend, it made the two become good friends. She didn't have his upbringing; she had to work for what she had. Not that she had grown up in poverty or ever had to worry about where her next meal would come from growing up; her father was a CPA while her mother was one of the top realtors in Chattanooga. As soon as they had gotten old enough, the children had gotten jobs as well; Tabitha couldn't remember a time any of them ever asked their parents for money or things for school or anything like that.

Bruce was different, very different! His family actually did have a hand in finding and naming Gotham City; the Waynes had been a part of Gotham City since its beginnings. His parents were brutally murdered in front of him when he was a young boy and Alfred, his now butler, had a major part in raising him. Despite that early tragedy, Bruce pulled himself together and followed in his forefather's footsteps. However, he didn't let success, fame and money get to his head. Bruce was what Tabitha would call an all-around guy. Of course, he would dine in the finest restaurants, had the largest and most expensive home in Gotham City and even attended the theatre for a night of opera on several occasions; he had the money to do so. Tabitha saw that those were trivial things to him; the homey diner in the Fashion District was where he was most comfortable it seemed. She did find out that Gotham City deemed Bruce Wayne as a rich, arrogant playboy, seeing that he was usually out and about with a different, glamorous woman every other night. Nevertheless, Tabitha soon saw that it was a front; she had seen how he would look whenever he was "caught" on a date: uninterested, almost bored. Those weren't the looks of a known playboy but the looks of something that was staged. If anything, he spent most of his free time holed up in Wayne Manor or at the diner with herself and Ethan.

Tabitha finally got a look inside Wayne Manor and was amazed. She had never been in a home as big as this and wondered why Bruce would want so much space. She knew that she would be constantly busy with upgrades! Tabitha wanted to get started on his security system but Bruce insisted that would be saved for last.

In the meantime, Tabitha would don her heroine outfit and attempt to help The Batman as much as she could. Every night it was a different villain that she found trying to defeat The Batman. She felt better about her being a mutant; most of these villains were definitely freaks!

Tabitha had found The Batman, yet again having trouble with another villain. She had recognized this one as simply Mister Freeze; he had been robbing the jewelry stores as of lately. As soon as she had done a Lightning Cloud, Mister Freeze took his attention away from The Batman, who had been caught in a block of ice, and threw a ray of ice towards Tabitha. She dodged it right on time and gotten a better look at the iceman.

"Ah; the 'lightning girl' everyone's been talking about. I get to destroy two pests at once…" it seemed like he smiled at the thought. Another ray of ice was sent her way and Tabitha had to do a Lightning Cloud to keep from getting hit. She was a few feet away from him.

"A suit…" she realized and before she thought about it, she sent a ray of lightning towards Mister Freeze's suit, shocking him unconscious. Tabitha approached The Batman and she almost couldn't contain her smile, "That's seven in a row, pal. But… who's counting?" she almost let her own accent through. She studied the block of ice, "That suit shock-proof?" she asked. The Batman shivered a bit; he had been in that ice for quite some time.

"Yes…" he barely managed. Tabitha carefully made sparks out of her lightning and it immediately melted the ice. She grabbed The Batman's wrist before he could make yet another one of his instant getaways.

"Seems to me that we make a good team. I've definitely saved you on more than one occasion." Tabitha told him. He sighed and snatched away from her grasp.

"Thanks, again…" Tabitha saw that The Batman had a problem with being helped out of a bad situation.

"Don't go riding off on your little motorcycle; I can help you, you know…"

"I don't need any sidekick."

"Really? If I hadn't shown up, you would've been ice cream by now!" she pointed out. The Batman turned to leave but Tabitha did a Lightning Cloud and was facing him. She smiled at his somewhat surprised and irritated look, "See? I'm even faster than you. You keep running and I'll just end up chasing you…" Tabitha made a promise. Before he could say anything, they both heard a siren and lights were being flashed on them. The cops, Tabitha thought. She turned and saw Ellen and Ethan aiming their weapons at the two.

"The Batman. Who's that with him?" Ellen sounded as if she was asking herself aloud. Ethan, looking as if he was beside himself, aimed his weapon steady at the two.

"Freeze, 'Bats'!" he ordered. She hated it; she didn't want The Batman caught this way. She did the only thing she could think of; she sent two streaks of lightning towards the detectives and was happy that they hit the weapons instead of the bodies. Tabitha turned and saw that The Batman had catapulted himself up the building. She huffed and followed him with Lightning Cloud.

Ethan looked on in amusement as Ellen was dumbfounded.

"Was that… real?" Yin asked. Ethan tried to shake the uncomfortable after effect of being shocked on his hand.

"Sure felt like it. What is she?"

"I don't know. But, whatever she is, she's helping out The Batman."

Tabitha surprised The Batman as she landed in front of him on top of the building. He sighed.

"What do you want from me?"

"A partnership. You can't deny that I just saved you, yet again. And… like I said, earlier, I'm faster than you. In the time it takes you to get from here to the docks, I can do it in triple the time. So, it's no problem for me to keep looking for you every night… and helping you. Just make it easier on yourself." Tabitha folded her arms. She had a feeling that this was going to be a long night. She had a feeling that The Batman would try to flee and she would just Lightning Cloud around until she caught up with him.

Bruce saw that the lightning girl had a valid point. He did appreciate that she had showed up in time to free him from the block of ice that night. And the clever distraction from Ethan and Yin. She could move at the speed of lightning, which meant that she was indeed faster than him, by a long shot; he quickly pondered who would win in a race between herself and The Flash. He saw that it would become a problem if she were to follow him, eventually finding out who he really is and, even worse, the location of the Batcave. Nevertheless, if he was to take in a sidekick, they would have to know eventually, anyway. She seemed nice enough and was actually becoming a plus; all she had to do was give someone a jolt and they would be knocked out. He sighed, once again, making the decision to give in.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Tabitha asked, hiding her smile.

"We can form a partnership. It is clear that you've been a big help to me. You got a name?"

"S…" Tabitha stopped herself. There was no need for her to go by her old name when she was wearing a new suit. Another setback, she realized; she never thought about another super heroine name! Then it came to her quickly, "Nikki. Nikki Strykher, at your service." she bowed and it produced a smile from The Batman.

As if he didn't have enough on his plate, Ethan now had to deal with another vigilante on their watch. Of course, Ellen had reported that The Batman looked as if he had a sidekick; there was no other way to explain how their weapons became fried. A woman who could conjure up lightning. Whether she was wearing a suit that produced the lightning for her or if she was just a mutant didn't matter; Chief Rojas was not tolerating two vigilantes in the city.

He had to admit that she looked great in the skintight black suit and was immediately reminded of his Tabitha; the two were almost shaped the same for sure. He knew well not to think that was her; he would've picked up on that. Moreover, the lightning woman had pure white hair. But… he had never seen Tabitha's hair: she was always wearing that t-shirt head wrap of hers.

"No. What am I thinking; that's definitely not Tabitha!" he told himself. While driving through the Fashion District, he called her.

Tabitha turned her TV down and answered her phone.

"Good evening, detective." she tried to sound sleepy.

"Sweetheart, did I wake you?"

"Mmm hmm; long night?"

"Like you wouldn't believe! I'm in the area. Can I…" he was about to ask but Tabitha lightly laughed.

"You should know you never have to ask, anymore. Just stop by." she smiled.

Ethan debated on knocking but went with his instinct and simply opened the door. The living room was dark except for the glare of the TV. He saw Tabitha sprawled out on her love seat, wrapped in a thick blanket. She lazily looked up at him and smiled.

"If you're naked underneath that blanket, you're gonna make my week!" Ethan smiled and Tabitha laughed.

"Just like a man…" she said and showed him that she was fully clothed. Ethan sat on the love seat and Tabitha immediately embraced him. He gave her a passionate kiss. Before he knew it, he was studying her hands and fingers, remembering the shock he felt when the lightning woman hit his weapon.

Tabitha eyed him strangely.

"Everything okay?" she asked, snapping him out of his trance. No shock or jolt from her, he realized. Her skin was normal temperature. He kissed her hands.

"Long day. We encountered The Batman tonight. But… he had a sidekick."

"Oh? Another vigilante. You guys are gonna be out of jobs, soon…"

"Don't let Rojas hear you say that!" he had to laugh; he knew that Tabitha was trying to make him lighten up about the situation. He had told himself that he would try not to stress himself out in front of her. Tabitha always worried about him, he knew for a fact.

It was Tabitha's turn to examine his hands. Even in the dark, she saw it, the slight burn mark on the palm of his hand. She turned her lamp on to make sure.

"Baby, your hand…" her heart dropped a little. She didn't want to hurt him, didn't mean to. However, Ethan shrugged and slightly smiled.

"It's fine. A little burn. The Batman's sidekick is a woman and… she did that to me."

"What?" Tabitha looked dead into his eyes. Ethan laughed a little and gave her a quick kiss, "You're hiding something. How did this woman do this?"

"It was… unbelievable. She… produced lightning from her hands." he slowly remembered. Tabitha sat back.

"Impossible…"

"She hit Yin, too. Well… she didn't actually hit us. She aimed for our weapons. That's where the burn mark came from, actually; me holding my weapon when she hit it. If I hadn't been there, myself, I wouldn't have believed it. Then again, we got this nut named Joker running around…"

"You're right; anything is possible in this city…" Tabitha sighed. She gently caressed his wound, "I got some burn ointment somewhere."

"Tabby, I'm fine…"

"Don't wanna hear it!" she said and got up to go into her bathroom. She felt awful that she had hurt him, even slightly. She told herself that she would never throw lightning at him, again.

Tabitha's relationships were going great: Bruce and herself were good friends, to the point where he was inviting her out to the expensive spots that he was constantly seen. Ethan and herself were heavily in love with each other; she constantly thought about asking him to move in with her. The Batman and herself were taking care of the freaks and bad guys in Gotham City and he was finally able to tolerate her. Even upgrading Bruce's home wasn't as strenuous as she thought it would be; she was actually having a little fun learning about everything in his manor. He had been all around the world and geography was Tabitha's favorite subject. Bruce had artifacts and souvenirs from all over and Tabitha would usually take a small break and study the pieces. Of course, Alfred would always pop out of nowhere and, at first, Tabitha thought that he was watching her to make sure she wouldn't do anything or go anywhere she wasn't supposed to. With all the items around in the manor, she didn't blame him. Steadily, he grew to trust her and would tell her the stories of Bruce's journeys.

Bruce was hosting a charity dinner party in his manor and Tabitha was hurriedly trying to finish her work. He had approached her as she was rewiring a light. She saw that Ethan and Ellen were with him, although they were not dressed for the occasion. Tabitha smiled, anyway and climbed down the ladder. Without thinking, she kissed Ethan. When she saw that he was a bit uncomfortable, she stepped away.

"You're on duty… aren't you?"

"Unfortunately." he finally smiled. Tabitha huffed and gave Yin a smile.

"Hey, detective. How do you do it?"

"It's my job to serve and protect."

"Understandable but… never mind. Forget I mentioned it. Bruce, I'm almost done with this room. These lights can be set to a dim, not too low. Just enough for a classy evening."

"Thank you, Tabitha."

"You do all this work by yourself?" Ellen asked. Tabitha shrugged.

"I never met any wire I couldn't handle! Besides, I couldn't trust anyone else to do the same job that I can. You need some upgrades in your home, detective?"

"Probably not but the station could use some."

"Talk to your boss; I like challenges!"

"If you like, you're more than welcome to join the party. The guests aren't arriving for another hour."

"An hour? Hmm… I could finish one more small room and get ready. Thanks, Bruce. Are you joining after you get off duty?" Tabitha looked at the two detectives.

"Afraid we'll be on duty all night. But… I'm looking forward to seeing you in a dress…" Ethan smiled. Tabitha laughed and slightly pushed him.

"Go patrol the grounds or something!" she continued to laugh. Ethan thought against it at first but went ahead and gave her a light kiss.

"See you later, Miss Lyght."

"I'll make sure of it, Detective Bennett." Tabitha smiled back. The three left the room. Bruce excused himself and left the detectives to begin their patrol.

"I think I like your girlfriend, Bennett. She's very interesting. Now, your friend I have a problem with."

"All you have to do is get to know him, Yin…"

"I already know enough…"

Tabitha had finished a smaller room in almost record time, even though she could hear the small din from the early arrivers on the upper floor. She merely stopped to quickly examine the massive bookshelf in the room on her way out; she had to find Bruce to let him know to go ahead and turn his security system back on. The small study intrigued her. Something wasn't right about it, she had felt. For it to be in the manor, the study was dull and boring. As if someone didn't want to draw any attention to the room, Tabitha thought. She looked on the bookshelf and saw that none of the books had any writing on the spines. She picked one up and saw that it was indeed a blank book.

"The hell? Something's here…" she almost whispered. She put the book back and studied the scene a bit more. On the left side of the shelf was a grandfather clock. She would've missed it had she not been looking for clues; the pendulum was out of sync with the actual clock. It's a fake, she thought to herself. What was Bruce trying to hide here?

Tabitha went up to the clock and noticed that the face of the clock was tanned in two spots. Not by much but how close she was it was noticeable. She moved the hands on the clock to shadow the tanned spots: 10:47. No sooner had she did, the clock gave way, making her gasp.

"A… secret entrance…" she realized. Tabitha quickly looked around to make sure that no one was watching and quickly stepped inside. The clock closed her in immediately and she was alone in the dark. Luckily, she had her toolbox and brought out her mini flashlight. She was on a staircase that had been made into the wall. It spiraled down into the dark void below her and Tabitha didn't hesitate to follow it. She soon realized that she was in a cave and was puzzled as to why Bruce would have a secret entrance to a cave. At the end of the steps, she saw that the cave was blocked by a massive steel door. Tabitha was surprised that when she tried to pry it open, it gave way; she was reminded that Bruce had turned his security system off so that she could work. What Tabitha had seen beyond the door was enough to paralyze her. In the middle of the large cave was a computer system like no other she had seen before. There were labs scattered all over the area as well as weapons and suits that had been encased in glass… The Batman's suits.

"Holy… shit…" Tabitha could not believe her eyes. She slowly approached one of the cases, "No way. Bruce is not…" she turned and saw the infamous vehicle that she had seen The Batman get away in; the Batmobile, "He is. Bruce Wayne is the fucking Batman!"

Tabitha felt numb from that point on. She made sure that she didn't touch anything and left exactly how she had come; she even put the hands of the clock back to where they were before. She finally found Bruce in the hallway leading to one of the rooms where he was entertaining his guests. He simply smiled at her.

"All done?"

"For now. You can turn your system back on. One day, I'll get it to where you don't have to turn it off for me to work on." she tried to smile. Tabitha had been studying Bruce's face. Why had it not dawned on her; the jaw line was perfectly matched. No one had a jaw line like Bruce Wayne… except for The Batman.

"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of a security system?"

"I could set up a code for myself to the system. It won't disarm it but it'll let me work on the system without tripping anything."

"Amazing."


	11. Green Men

Chapter Eleven: Not So Little Green Men…

She wondered why would Bruce Wayne moonlight as The Batman and hide the fact. What would have provoked him to become a vigilante? Why a bat? Tabitha also wondered if Ethan had known that his best friend was The Batman. It would make sense why he was at ends with himself but if he didn't know, Tabitha wouldn't be the one to break the news to him.

Bruce had noticed that having Nikki as a sidekick was starting to take its toll. She was good, her powers were almost unmatched but he saw that she had a bit of a temper problem. All she had to do was give people a light zap but she wanted to fight. Her favorite one to fight was Joker; she always wanted to show that she was as agile and tough as he was. Bruce constantly was warning her to make quick work of him before he would unleash some type of poison and then he would be faced with having to cure either her or the both of them. He found himself wishing that she was as level headed as his friend, Tabitha.

Being a super heroine was taking its toll on Tabitha as well; she came back home always exhausted. One night, she was making her way back home when she saw Ethan's car parked on the street by her apartment.

"Shit!" she whispered. She did a quick Lightning Cloud to her window and saw that Ethan was asleep in her bed. Tabitha quickly and quietly went inside her apartment through the front door and changed clothes right then and there, putting on her uniform that she had worn earlier. She stuffed her outfit underneath her couch and quickly wrapped a t-shirt around her hair. She took a deep breath and re-closed her door, making sure to make a little noise. Tabitha heard Ethan shift and she started to undo her work shirt, making her way into the bedroom. Her eyes met his and he sleepily smiled.

"Late night, Miss Lyght…"

"I swear; if you wasn't a detective, I would've called the police on you! Breaking and entering is a misdemeanor…"

"A felony, actually…" he smiled and watched her take her clothes off, "You're just now getting off?"

"Yeah. A goof on my part. Couldn't leave until it was fixed." she lied. Tabitha stripped to her underwear and climbed into the bed with Ethan. He immediately pulled her closer to him and gave her a kiss, "Hey; you're naked!"

"So I am…" he smiled and took her underwear off.

Bruce decided that he needed to talk to Nikki about her temper. He was going to do so before they had started their nightly trek. He found her by Amusement Mile of all places. She smiled; something that he found that he actually enjoyed looking at. Bruce had to admit that he had a small crush on Nikki but her attitude stopped him from pursuing her. Maybe if he could find out who she really was, he could get to know her better and work past her temper.

"Caught me off guard a bit, Batman." Tabitha smiled; he had told her to drop the "The" in his name.

"Nikki, there's something we need to talk about it." he looked dead at her. Tabitha felt that he was about to confess who he was and her heart pounded a bit.

"All ears." she sat down.

"You have a problem that we need to settle."

"A… problem?"

"Your temper. Your rage. We shouldn't be fighting these villains for as long as we've been doing."

"So, you're gonna sit here and tell me how to act, now?" she let a little of her accent out. Bruce caught on a bit and heard that it was eerily familiar.

"I think I should. All you have to do is zap them; that's it. It shouldn't take all night to take someone out with your powers."

"'Zap' them? Do you know how hard it is for me? It's not as easy as it is for you! I don't have a fucking utility belt that gives me all the fucking gadgets I want!" Tabitha argued. Bruce was about to say something until the two were ambushed by Penguin and his two oriental sidekicks, the Kabuki Twins. Bruce's mind wasn't clear; Nikki's real voice had come out when she started to get upset. Was Nikki Strykher Tabitha?

Tabitha stared down one of the Kabuki Twins.

"It ain't nice to interrupt a conversation!" she said and charged at it. It flashed its menacing claws and tried to swipe at Tabitha. Unfortunately, it landed across her chest but seeing that Tabitha's suit was made indestructible, it only made her wince. Tabitha grabbed the killer doll by its wrist and flung it across the river. She put her attention to Penguin, who was watching the other twin attempt to subdue Bruce. Penguin noticed that Tabitha was heading his way and held out his umbrella. However, Tabitha sent a bolt of lightning towards it, making him drop it. He backed away from her, going towards the amusement rides. Tabitha shook her head, "I fucking hate birds; I really do…" she said as she caught up with him. Tabitha grabbed him by his coat and flung him into the roller coaster structure. Bruce had taken care of the other Kabuki Twin and put his attention to the park, where his partner was busily destroying whatever got in her way.

"Tabitha?" he whispered as he made his way over to the wreckage. He had heard her clearly last time; she did not attempt to try to hide her accent. Nikki Strykher was really Tabitha Lyght.

She was out of control and Bruce had to stop her before she destroyed the entire park. This was what he didn't like; Penguin was clearly defeated; all she had to do was throw a bit of lightning at him to knock him out. However, she was angered and wanted to show him just how much she was by throwing him into every obstacle that was in their way. Bruce could even hear Penguin begging for mercy but Tabitha had fallen deaf.

Bruce was close enough to step in and he threw a net on Penguin, making him immobile. Tabitha started charging up and Bruce immediately threw a Batarang towards her wrist. Tabitha angrily looked in the direction of the hit but realized that Bruce had hit her. She didn't know whether to be upset or shocked and she simply stood there. She had been in another one of her raged fits, she sadly realized. This was what Bruce and Peter were talking about, she thought to herself.

Tabitha followed Bruce out of the amusement park and they walked for about two miles before he finally turned towards her.

"Do you know how much damage you just caused over there? It's bad enough that the police look down on us…"

"Bruce, I'm so sorry…" it came out of her mouth before she could stop it. She saw that it paralyzed him just for a small second. How did she know, Bruce pondered deeply. He then thought back to his party, how she had been acting funny all night, not wanting to be around him. He had been right; someone **did **find the Batcave secret entrance. Why hadn't it dawned on him that, with her knowledge, it was Tabitha?

"Tabitha…" Bruce said and saw that Tabitha was as shocked as he had been. My accent, she finally figured out as Bruce took his mask off. Tabitha did the same.

"I guess we'll both want some answers…"

Bruce gave Tabitha an informal tour of the Batcave as the two sat at his Batcomputer. They both shared on how they became to be. He just stared at her.

"Does Ethan know?"

"No. I don't have the heart to tell him. I don't know how he'd take it. I was gonna ask you the same."

"Same here. So, **that's **why you wear the shirt over your head… Tabitha, we still need to talk about your rage. Especially after tonight. I've been doing some thinking. Have you ever heard of the Justice League?"

"Yeah but only through talks. A Superman is the leader, right?"

"Right…" Bruce couldn't help feeling a bit of a pinch at that, "The Justice League is a league of superheroes, all with different powers or unique abilities. Superman… Clark and myself, along with five others, founded the Justice League. I want you to talk to one of them." Bruce said. Tabitha folded her arms and looked away.

"Therapy." she realized. Bruce sighed.

"In a way; yes. Tabitha… you're a great super heroine. But, rage fuels you. You have to get control of that rage and I don't think you'll be able to do it by yourself. I've already arranged for you to meet a few Justice League members. They should be here any minute." Bruce said. Before Tabitha had time to huff out her disapproval, three bodies had formed in front of them, making Tabitha jump back. The man in front, who Tabitha automatically knew was Superman by the S on his chest, towered over the four with his broad shoulders. Clearly leader material, Tabitha thought. The woman with them was slim and very attractive, wearing a gold headband tiara. Royalty, Tabitha picked up on. The last member was a Martian but not like any Tabitha would had expected. She had heard of the saying "little green men" but he was in no way little: as tall as Bruce with as broad of a body as Superman's. The only thing he wore were blue trunks, a matching blue cape and red straps. Tabitha couldn't help but to slightly smile; for an alien, he sure was handsome!

"Think I could've gotten a warning before that?" Tabitha almost smiled. Bruce accidentally let his laugh out; she was always outspoken.

"This is Superman, Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter… don't let the name fool you." Bruce saw that Tabitha had a bit of concern on her face. She shook everyone's hand, "Martian Manhunter is going to help you with your temper."

"Think of it as treatment." Martian Manhunter stated.

"Are we doing it here, now?" Tabitha asked.

"No. I think it's best that you come up to Watchtower and go through your treatment." Bruce said. Tabitha looked at him.

"So, I'm leaving. For how long? And… what about Ethan…" she realized. Bruce hadn't thought about that little fact and thought about it.

"Just tell him that you're visiting family for a while. You'll be back. And for how long depends on you." Bruce explained. Tabitha simply looked at the ground. Leaving, once again, she thought. It will make it the fourth time she's moved around; she hadn't moved around so much since her basic training days in the army. But, she had to admit that she had been so angry lately that it blinded her. What was the alien going to make her go through to control her anger, Tabitha thought. If Bruce agreed with this "treatment" then it must not have been all that bad. Tabitha finally sighed.

"Can I… have a little time to tell Ethan goodbye?"

Ethan walked in his girlfriend's apartment and saw that she was packed. This isn't good, he thought to himself as he sat down beside her on the love sofa.

"What's all this?" he asked and gave her a kiss. Tabitha sighed.

"I… have to leave for a while. I have to go back to Tennessee; my mom's fallen ill."

"Oh, no; everything okay?" he grabbed her hands.

"They said that it should be. My dad needs help around the house while she's getting better. I'm sorry, Ethan…"

"No; it's okay. I understand completely. Go. When will you be back or… are you ever coming back?"

"I'll be back. Maybe a month?" she told him. Ethan smiled a little, nodded and cupped her face in his hands. He gave her a long, passionate kiss and looked deeply into her eyes.

"… I love you, Tabitha." he half whispered. Tabitha stared at him.

"Ethan…"

"Please come back to me…"

"I will. I promise. Ethan… move in here."

"Is that what you really want?"

"Yes. I love you, too." she said and returned the kiss.

In the same manner that the three Justice League members appeared in the Batcave, they transported themselves and Tabitha onboard Watchtower, home to the Justice League in space. The space station monitored anything that came in close proximity of Earth from space. Tabitha's eyes widened at the array of superheroes and heroines that roamed around freely.

"This way, Tabitha." Martian Manhunter led her through a hallway. He opened one of the doors and Tabitha saw that it was a room occupied with a bed, dresser and bathroom, "This will be your room while you're on Watchtower. We'll begin your treatment in a hour." he told her. Tabitha nodded, still admiring the alien. He had a nicer body than Superman's, she realized. Martian Manhunter suddenly smiled a bit, "Thank you. And, I'm a Martian… not an alien." he said and left. Tabitha flushed with embarrassment.

"He fucking reads minds…" she realized before closing her door.

Tabitha found herself in a room with whom she figured were the founders of Justice League, minus Bruce: Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern and The Flash. The military in her wanted to stand at attention but she simply stood there with a feeling of awe as she looked over everyone's attire.

"Bruce has been talking to us about you for quite some time, now. He only wants to help you, Tabitha. I know that you feel a bit rejected being here and I've talked it over with the others. If you complete your treatment satisfactorily… you will become a member of Justice League." Martian Manhunter announced. Tabitha eyes widened and she looked at the others for approval. They were all smiles.

"R-really?"

"Bruce mentioned that you're very talented and skilled. You just have a slight problem with rage. Other than that, he has no problem with you being a member." Superman said. Tabitha slightly smiled.

"I have a question before we begin." she looked at Martian Manhunter, "How long have you been reading my mind?"

"Since bringing you on Watchtower." he admitted.

"Oh, boy…" Tabitha mumbled.

The "treatment" had quite a few phases, which would be performed for about an hour a day. Tabitha learned that the handsome Martian preferred to be called J'onn J'onzz instead and Tabitha felt more comfortable calling him that. J'onn at first sat down and talked to her and learned how she came to be. He then would go through her mind to see exactly where this rage came from. He ran physical tests on her, taking blood samples to Tabitha's dismay. J'onn summoned Bruce after a day of therapy.

"Is she okay?" Bruce was actually concerned. He knew all about how Tabitha came to be and that she had a mutant strand running around inside of her. He wanted to look at that strand himself but had felt that conquering her rage was more important now.

"It's a matter of opinion. Physically, she's fine. Tabitha mentioned that she was told that the mutant strand was trying to fuse with her regular DNA strand. Take a look." J'onn told Bruce. Bruce looked through the microscope at Tabitha's DNA.

"It's not trying, anymore… it already has. Is that the reason for her rage?"

"I'm not sure. So far, the only thing this means is that she has her powers permanently, now. I need to speak with the doctor who first found out about her mutant strand."

"Her friend… Dr. Lindsey. I'll track her down."

"Shit… sorry!" Jamila apologized as she looked at the strand. She looked away and back at the two Justice League members. She was caught off guard when she came home and her husband said that a Bruce Wayne and his assistant came to visit. Jamila knew of Bruce Wayne; that was Tabitha's boss in Gotham City as well as The Batman that Tabitha had fought alongside with. She led the two upstairs to her home office and almost screamed when the "assistant" transformed into a Martian; she locked the door to keep her husband and children from interrupting the three.

Jamila ran her hands across the top of her dreads and grabbed the earlier results of the tests herself and Wyatt had ran months ago, "Does she know about this?" she asked, studying all of the results and scans.

"No." J'onn shook his head. Jamila frowned up.

"The hell… what made it grow so rapidly? Wyatt said she had some time; two years he said at the very least. It was fusing really slowly. Take a look at this." Jamila gave J'onn and Bruce the papers. The three studied them.

"She's right. These two samples were done a week apart and there was little change. Our sample is only two days old but you can plainly tell the difference."

"Wait; I have another sample…" Jamila went through her desk. She pulled out a manila envelope, "Tabs was supposed to be cured in New York. The doctor said that the formula didn't take. He thought that it was because her strand was far more advanced than the kids he had cured, which he would've been right. She didn't want him to try; she was in a hurry to see her family. I asked him to give me the samples he had taken. I was gonna wait to show this to her; I haven't even seen 'em yet." Jamila took the sheets out of the envelope and looked at them, "Oh, my God…"

"What is it?" J'onn asked.

"It's the same… that's why the formula didn't work. It was already fused back then…" Jamila wanted to cry for Tabitha, "But… what made it…" she had an epiphany. Jamila slumped down on the couch, "She'd been using her powers more. She learned how to weld and make clothes. Then… that's when she first became a super heroine. She wasn't supposed to use her powers, I guess. It sped up the takeover." Jamila realized.

"Is there any way that new strand has an effect on her mood? As far as anger?" Bruce looked at Jamila. She thought for a while.

"It could be possible. She's been angry lately?"

"It's noticeable that she has a problem with rage. But… only when she fights…" Bruce looked at J'onn. J'onn caught on to what Bruce was thinking and looked at Jamila.

"Did she ever show any anger or rage when she lived with you?"

"No. Not at all. Even when… when she killed her friend. It was more… remorse than anything."

"She's killed before?" J'onn asked.

"She had no other choice. It ate at her that it was her best friend; you could tell." Jamila explained. Bruce and J'onn could only nod.

"Thank you for your help, Dr. Lindsey."

"Anything for Tabs. Could you do me a favor? Don't mention to her that she's stuck. She'll be heartbroken if you told her now. Let her do whatever it is you have planned for her, first."


	12. Redemption

Chapter Twelve: Redemption

After talking to Dr. Lindsey, J'onn came up with a new idea as far as the therapy Tabitha would go through. He agreed with Bruce that with the adrenaline she used to fight, because of her new DNA strand, her rage was fueled by it. He was with Superman at the simulation controls.

"You don't think it's too early for her?" he asked J'onn.

"It's the only way to test out our theories. She needs a villain to fight. I'll put it on a moderate level for her." he assured Superman, "Tabitha, we're going to test your abilities." he told her through the intercom.

"Okay."

"Don't hold anything back." J'onn ordered and began the program. Superman and himself watched as Tabitha faced off against Joker. When he saw that she was easily beating him up, J'onn increased the level to the highest one available, like he had wanted to in the beginning. He monitored her thoughts with his own ability while the machine monitored her heart rate and vitals. No sooner had he increased the level, he noticed that she started going through her raged state. There weren't too many Justice League members who could take on the simulation program at max difficulty but Tabitha was having no problems as she chased Joker around, matching his speed and punches.

Even Superman saw that she had transformed into someone else.

"She's enraged…" he saw it in her eyes, "Is it something about Joker that she doesn't like?" he asked J'onn.

"Bruce said he's actually her favorite. Let's try another villain; one she doesn't know." he said. J'onn made Joker run away and before Tabitha could chase after him, he made Mongul appear. Tabitha was taken aback at first but when he came in to attack, she naturally defended herself. Superman looked on in amazement; for the brief moment she was shocked to see Mongul, he saw that Tabitha was leaving her enraged state. But, as soon as she defended herself, that look in her eyes came back. She had no problems with him, combining her lightning ability with every punch and kick. J'onn saw that her heart rate had sped up immensely and decided that he had seen enough. He shut down the program and Tabitha fell to her knees, trying to catch her breath. Superman immediately went into the room to help her up. Tabitha was about to push him away but saw who was helping her. She ran her hands through her hair, which was damp with sweat.

"I raged again… didn't I?"

"Don't worry; J'onn's going to help you."

J'onn thought of different options to help Tabitha out. His first was to try to erase her mind; if she didn't have knowledge of her powers, she wouldn't rage. But, he immediately saw where that plan would fail: she would still have her powers and if she ever got upset or angry, they would come out, automatically. The only other way was to talk to her and teach her how not to go into that raged state.

After talking more with Dr. Lindsey, J'onn found out more about Tabitha's stay in New York. With the council's agreement, he let Jamila onto Watchtower.

"So, this Alpha was a former general?"

"Yeah. He was over the top-secret program. He had her body dumped in Memphis. It was sheer luck that she saw him in New York. Peter said that she was really bent on revenge. She never talked about what happened the night that Alpha was caught. Peter witnessed the whole thing. He said that she just… snapped. She was after Alpha and didn't care who got in her way."

"That's not good."

"I know. Tabitha spent an entire year under my roof with my children and husband; that didn't sound like her at all. Can I… talk to her?"

"Of course." J'onn said and led Jamila to her room. Jamila knocked on the door and was greeted by Tabitha's smile. She almost screamed and gave Jamila a huge hug.

"Jay!"

"Tabs…" Jamila smiled.

"I'll leave you two to catch up." J'onn said and left. Tabitha pulled Jamila into her room.

"What are you doing here? **How** did you get here?"

"I was invited by J'onn. Oh, my God; he's fucking sexy…" Jamila was about to comment but Tabitha covered her mouth.

"Ssh!"

"What; he can hear us?"

"Probably but he can definitely read minds!"

"Fuck my life; it was all I was thinking about!" Jamila shook her head. Tabitha laughed as the two sat down on her bed.

"Aren't you married?"

"Who says I can't look? Besides; if he didn't want us looking, he should put on some clothes! Anyway… how you feeling?"

"Oh… J'onn told you? **That's** why you're here…"

"I'm here because everyone's concerned about you. Why didn't you tell me about being raged?" Jamila asked. Tabitha stood up and paced the floor a bit.

"It's embarrassing, doc. I don't like that I can't control something that I know damn well that I should have control over."

"Tabs… everyone can control their own emotions. It's all of a matter of wanting to. That mutant strand is just blocking your ability to have control of your rage. All you have to do is let J'onn help you find a way to unblock it. You can do it; I know you can."

"How?" Tabitha looked at Jamila.

"Tell me what happened that night when Alpha caught you."

Three weeks had gone by since Tabitha had been living on Watchtower, going through her daily sessions with J'onn and some of the other Justice League members. She actually liked being able to roam around without wearing her head wrap and everyone accepted her for who she was. She saw that a lot of the members walked around in their costumes; Tabitha learned quickly that they never knew when someone would be called for a mission. Even the founding members had grown attached to her, especially Wonder Woman. She didn't think that Tabitha's rage was as bad as the others made it out to be but she was not going to question J'onn's judgment.

Tabitha was walking with J'onn to a training room. She looked up at him.

"So… how have I been doing?"

"I don't know. What do you think, Tabitha?" J'onn looked down at her. Tabitha looked straight ahead and shrugged.

"That you're sending me back to Gotham City after this week…" she admitted but it made J'onn laugh a bit.

"You're too hard on yourself. Maybe this will help loosen you up." he said as they entered the room. Tabitha raised an eyebrow as she was face to face with Wonder Woman. She folded her arms and smiled at Tabitha.

"Are you ready?" she asked. Tabitha could only blink.

"Ready… for…"

"To fight me."

"Wait; to do what? J'onn…" Tabitha turned around. J'onn leaned against the wall.

"It's part of your final test."

"But… I can't… Wonder Woman…" Tabitha looked back at her. She shook her head.

"It's Diana. If you become a part of the Justice League, this is one of the things you'll have to do, anyway." she took a fighting pose. But, Tabitha shook her head and looked down.

"Damn the test; I won't strike a Justice League member." she proclaimed. Deep down, J'onn had smiled at her statement; he had read her mind and found it to be true. So, she won't fight someone innocent; only a villain, he thought. He had already passed her for this part of the test.

"Suit yourself…" Diana said and charged after Tabitha. When she saw Diana come at her with a fist, Tabitha grabbed her wrist and stepped behind her; it was what the military had trained her to do. She pushed Diana away, not even applying any of her lightning. Diana quickly came after Tabitha with a kick instead. Tabitha grabbed her foot and plopped her down on the mat. One of the triplet's favorite wrestlers came to mind as Tabitha flipped Diana over on her stomach and cradled her back. She grabbed Diana's wrists and pinned them to her back.

"Diana, please; I don't want to fight you…" she tried but Diana had kicked her in the back of the head. Tabitha rolled off and barely missed being stomped on. By that time, Superman, Bruce and Green Lantern were watching as well.

"She's… not fighting back…" Bruce noticed. J'onn smiled.

"I know."

"Is this for show?" Green Lantern asked.

"No. She seriously doesn't want to fight Diana. Diana's trying her best to provoke her but she's not raging." J'onn was happy to see. Bruce smiled as well.

Diana was persistent and Tabitha finally threw a lightning bolt towards her. Diana blocked it with her armor bracelets and Tabitha was relieved that she had done so. Diana finally landed a punch to Tabitha's jaw and the other Justice League members watching held their breaths. Tabitha returned the hit, adding a jolt to her fists and J'onn saw that she still was not enraged. She actually looked sympathetic that she had to throw that punch, he realized. Diana grabbed Tabitha and threw her almost across the room. Tabitha luckily landed on her feet and saw Diana charging after her yet again. Tabitha started to run away from her but did a Lightning Cloud off the wall. Everyone was surprised when Tabitha appeared right in front of Diana and gave her a low sweep. Tabitha immediately put her weight on Diana but she grabbed Tabitha's wrists.

"That's enough." J'onn ordered. He was proud; Tabitha hadn't shown even the slightest clue that she was near raging. Diana let go of her wrists and Tabitha got up. She looked sorrowful towards J'onn.

"J'onn… I'm so sorry…"

"For what? That was very good."

"But, I didn't fight back…"

"That was the point." he clued her in. J'onn took her by the shoulder, "Are you ready for the second part of your test?"

Tabitha was back in the simulation room and took deep breaths before the program started. She was in Metropolis, according to what Superman had told her, and figured that she would have to fight Lex Luthor. But, she was taken by total surprise and shock when a white-haired man appeared in front of her.

"Tony…" she held back tears. Jamila had to have told J'onn about it, Tabitha thought. As Tony spoke, she no longer thought about her test. It was the same speech he had given in Wyatt's home but she didn't let him get near her. Another surprise was put into the program; Tony dragged a person into the scene: Ethan.

"So, this is your new boyfriend, Tabby? Hmph. It should've been me!" he said and before Tabitha could move, he electrocuted Ethan.

"NOOO!" she cried, letting her tears fall. She watched as Ethan's limp body fell to the ground, the smell of charred human skin stinging her nostrils. Tony laughed and Tabitha did a Lightning Cloud towards him. She punched him in the face, did a Lightning Cloud behind him and kicked Tony in the back of the head.

Bruce raised his eyebrows at J'onn.

"I think that was a bit harsh…" he had to make his feelings known. It was one thing to bring her friend back from the dead but to add Ethan in the mix seemed cruel.

"I wanted to see her reactions." he simply said. He watched as she pummeled Tony all over Metropolis and noted that she wasn't enraged… but very near it. He kicked the difficulty all the way up, which made Tony get up and laugh after a hard hit.

"You've gotten soft, Tabby." he smiled and it was all that she could take. Bruce noticed it as well and shook his head in defeat.

"There it is…" he sadly noted but J'onn shook his head when he looked at her vitals.

"No… she's not raging. She's simply… upset." he almost smiled. Tabitha had grabbed Tony by the shirt and charged up to the maximum of her ability. She was about to blank out, going into a fit of rage but then saw something in his eyes. She took a good look at Tony's body; he was bloody and beaten. He no longer had been throwing lightning towards her; his serum had depleted. He was his normal self, again and Tabitha had beaten him into a bloody pulp still. She stopped charging and more tears fell.

"Tony… I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Please… I never meant to hurt you…" she cried and simply hugged him. She gathered him in her arms and rocked slightly, tears streaming down her face.

"Tabitha…" his voice had changed but Tabitha was brought to frantic sobs.

"I'm sorry, Tee; I'm sorry…" was all she could manage. She buried her head into his chest and cried harder. He finally hugged her back as she shook.

"That's enough…" Bruce had seen all that he wanted to see. J'onn had to admit that he had as well and stopped the program. The two entered the room and Tabitha sat in a ball, still crying. J'onn knelt down.

"Tabitha…" he started but she immediately hugged him.

"J'onn, I didn't mean to kill him! I never meant to! And, those kids… damnit, they were just kids! I'm sorry. I'm sorry, J'onn…" she cried. He hugged her back. It wasn't what he had expected but he saw that she had been bottling up those feelings for the longest. He almost regretted putting her through that program; she was starting to question her intentions of being a super heroine.

"It's okay, Tabitha. Let's… take a break."

It took almost an hour for Tabitha to calm down. She had to admit that she felt better after letting all those bottled up emotions out. She could tell that Bruce was upset with J'onn for making her go through that program but Tabitha realized that his intentions were noble. He could've not had Tony kill Ethan but she knew that he needed something to make her forget that all of this was a test.

Bruce went alone to get Tabitha from her room for the last part of her test. Tabitha barely looked up at him.

"I feel like an ass…" she admitted. Bruce looked down at her.

"It wasn't your fault."

"Bruce, don't be mad at J'onn; he was only doing his job."

"It was too extreme. It was like he was trying to make you enraged."

"I almost did. But… he wanted me to do that. Just like, he wanted me not to fight Diana. I just didn't think that I would turn into a babbling brook in front of him!"

"How do you feel?" Bruce asked. Tabitha looked deep inside herself for the answer and had to smile.

"Better." she confessed. The two made their way to the transporter where they were joined by J'onn and Diana. Tabitha glanced at Diana's bracelets and noticed a very slight scratch; probably where her lightning had struck, "I can fix that if you want, Diana." she suddenly said. Diana looked at her and almost laughed.

"These were hand crafted by Hephaestus, a blacksmith to the gods…"

"I can fix it…"

"You're saying that you're better than Hephaestus?" Diana asked. Bruce smirked.

"Let her try; you'd be surprised…"

"Are you ready for the last part of your test?" J'onn asked. He really wanted to ask if she was okay but saw that she had smiled.

"Cocked, locked and ready to rock!" she answered. Tabitha had been told that they were going back to Earth and she had worn her signature head wrap; she had wanted to see Ethan.

The four had been transported to New York to Tabitha's surprise. They were in front of a hospital and Tabitha realized too late that it was the mental institution where Alpha was being held. She tensed up as they went inside.

"What's this?" she firmly asked. Bruce shrugged.

"I don't know. We were only told that you were going to New York for the last portion of the test." he said as J'onn, shape shifted into a human, talked to one of the receptionists. She led the four to an elevator that went up to the fourth floor. A guard greeted them and led the four to a visiting room. Tabitha didn't want to move; for the first time since fighting him, she was face-to-face with Alpha. Gary First, she corrected herself as she glared at the pitiful sight in front of them. His hair was no longer jet black, his skin no longer with a metallic glow. He wasn't the dominating Alpha from months prior. His salt and pepper hair was almost fully grey and unruly. He had also grown a rough beard and his beautifully sculptured features had been eroded, making him appear older than what he really was.

The former general slowly looked up and the guards noticed that his eyes finally showed some type of life as he stared back at Tabitha. They kept their distance; he was handcuffed and confined to the chair at the table.

Tabitha felt her heart pounding; the feelings of betrayal came back. But, she sat down across from him and stared coldly at Gary.

"Sergeant…" he slightly smiled; she looked better than ever and if anything was real, it was his lust for her.

"I'm not in the military, anymore." she said, no emotion in her voice. He simply glanced back down. Tabitha leaned in closer to him, "So, you have nothing to say to me, now. Typical. Do you even care what you put me through? How you lied to Tony? If anything, I deserve an apology." she finally found the words. Gary still didn't look at her; he simply couldn't. She was right, he knew for a fact: he owed her an apology. He had taken Tony's love for her and used it against him, putting into his head that Tabitha was a rogue, AWOL soldier killing off innocent bystanders. The serum made it easier for him to do so; it weakened Tony's judgment. Gary wondered why it hadn't done so for Tabitha.

Tabitha saw that she wasn't going to get an apology and it angered her, more than being left for dead. She glared into his eyes, feeling her blood boil, "You bastard. You fucking bastard. You left me for dead. Three hundred miles away from my gaddamn home! Do you know that I **still** haven't seen my family? You even turned my own best friend against me!" she was starting to rage, hot tears streaming down her face. Gary finally looked at her, with tears in his own eyes.

"Tabitha…"

"No! Don't you fucking dare! You don't care! You don't give a fuck; you never did! You're powerless, now! What's stopping me from taking you out, now?" she raged and stood up. She didn't care who she was in front of, anymore; lightning started forming around her clenched hands. The guards were taken aback at first but J'onn had signaled for them not to move. Tabitha suddenly banged her fists into the table, getting closer to Gary, "I should fucking kill you, right here, right now!" she was charging up. Gary shook; he knew that Tabitha was going to strike him down dead where he sat. He really didn't blame her, for everything that he had put her through.

Just as when J'onn and Bruce were about to intercept, they saw a change. Tabitha was breathing heavily; she had blanked out only for a second and was about to release all of her energy on Gary. But, she thought about the simulation program she had gone through. She thought about Bruce and Peter and… Ethan. If she let herself go through what she wanted to, she would not come back to him like she promised. She thought about all the hard work she had been through the past month and how J'onn smiled at her earlier that day. Tabitha took a few more deep breaths and finally stopped charging up. She still glared at Gary, "No. No. I can't. I won't. I won't stoop to your level. Not anymore. I'm done." she turned to leave. The other Justice League members had to sigh for relief and Bruce grabbed Tabitha's shoulder as they were leaving.

"Tabitha… I'm sorry…" Gary finally managed. Tabitha stopped dead in her tracks.

"Go to hell…" she said and left.


	13. Initiations and Heartbreak

Chapter Thirteen: Initiations and Heartbreak

J'onn, Diana, Green Lantern, Bruce, The Flash and Superman gathered in their conference room. Tabitha walked in and took a deep breath before standing before the six. J'onn stood up.

"Tabitha, you were brought here because you had a problem with your temper. After a month of treatment, you were given a final test a couple of days ago. My word to you was if you had passed your treatment, you would be allowed in the Justice League. Congratulations, Tabitha." J'onn announced. The others stood up and gave her a round of applause. Tabitha breathed out a sigh of relief and a tear fell.

"Thank you…" she sighed. She was worried that after the display of near rage in New York, exposing her powers in front of the guards that she was going to be transported immediately back to Gotham City.

J'onn was a bit worried that she had displayed her powers in front of the guards two days ago; he was shocked that she was angry enough to expose her powers but a simple mind erase solved that problem! But, he also saw that she had calmed herself down and was glad that he and Bruce didn't have to intercept the potential attack. He didn't approve of the language but she didn't attack him and actually walked away from the whole situation, something he had hoped to see. Tabitha Lyght was now in full control of her rage. The next step was to tell her about her DNA but Dr. Lindsey said she would do that.

"Here is your key card, which will give you access to any authorized room in Watchtower and your communicator; I will always be in contact with you wherever you are. Now that you are an official member, you have to go through some training. You can stay aboard if you like. If not, just make sure that you're on time with your training."

"Yes. Of course." Tabitha couldn't hide her smile, "Thank you so much for bearing with me for the past month. I do have one request." she said and looked dead at The Flash.

"Yes?" J'onn asked. Tabitha smiled.

"A race with The Flash." she said. The Flash smiled and stood beside her.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not deaf; I've been hearing all the rumors and speculations about who's faster. One lap around Watchtower?"

"This will be fun! And, call me Wally. Ready?"

"Always!" Tabitha said and the two took off. Twenty seconds later, Tabitha appeared back where they had started, with Wally appearing less than half a second later.

"Wow…"

"She actually beat Wally…" Green Lantern noticed. Wally looked at her.

"Best two out of three?"

"Let's go!" Tabitha said and the two took off again. Bruce shook his head.

"We may have to watch out for those two…"

Tabitha popped out of her sleep; she had been rudely awakened. It took her a moment to focus and realized that someone was knocking on her door. She stretched and slowly got up to answer it; Tabitha had decided to take a nap after a grueling training session with Diana.

"Bruce? What's wrong?" Tabitha yawned. She could tell that he was worried about something.

"Tabitha… can I come in?"

"Yeah; sure." she said and went to lay back down in the bed. Bruce gently grabbed her arm.

"Tabitha… Ethan may be in trouble." he said and it was enough to make her fully awake.

"… What?"

"A couple of days ago, he was kidnapped by Joker. I saved him but… he really messed with his mind while he had him."

"Are you serious? And you didn't tell me until now? Bruce…"

"I know, I know; I'm sorry. I didn't think anything of it… until now. Yin just told me that she went to his apartment and he didn't want to open the door."

"Wait… I told him to move into mine…"

"I know. I found that weird, too. I'm going to go see him."

"I'm going with you." Tabitha said, trying to find a t-shirt to wrap around her head. Bruce wanted to argue with her, to tell her that it wouldn't be best. He hadn't told her the whole story; that Chief Rojas put him on suspension for insubordination. He had holed himself up in his old apartment ever since.

But, he knew that Tabitha loved him and wouldn't take no for an answer. Tabitha had regretted agreeing to stay aboard Watchtower instead of going back to Gotham City; she knew that she would've been able to do something about the situation. She had just talked to Ethan last week and told him that she had needed to stay away for a bit longer and he sounded fine. A bit let down but he knew that she was coming back so he wasn't really too much worried about it. Tabitha wished that he would've called her to let her know what happened to him.

Bruce and Tabitha were transported to Gotham City in the Batcave and the two made their way into town to the City Hall District. Tabitha sighed when she saw Ethan's car, looking as if it hadn't moved in days. The two went inside the old building and found his apartment. Bruce knocked on the door.

"Ethan? Ethan, you in there?" Bruce tried. He tried turning the knob but the door was locked. The two heard a small din behind the door.

"Yeah… just not feeling too good…" Ethan's voice was rough and harsh. Tabitha lightly tapped on the door, resting her head on it.

"Detective… could you open the door, please?" she tried.

"… Tabby…"

"Yeah. I've missed you, babe. I thought you were staying with me?"

"I… couldn't stay there without you…"

"Well… I'm back, now. Ethan, open the door, please? I don't care about catching no cold…" she was worried, then. The last time they had talked, he was anxious to see her.

"No! I don't… wanna see… anyone. Just… leave!" he yelled. Tears formed up in her eyes.

"Ethan… I love you…" she managed. When he didn't say anything back, her tears fell. Bruce grabbed her shoulders.

"Come on, Tabitha; let's go."

She didn't know what to do or what to think. Tabitha couldn't fully concentrate on her training knowing that there was definitely something wrong with Ethan. He had never raised his voice at her or even pushed her away, even when he was left frustrated from work. She wanted to see him but he wouldn't come out of his apartment.

Bruce had to check up on her. He felt bad that he never mentioned that the fight between himself and Joker to save Ethan had been caught on tape. Joker had actually called out Tabitha to come save her boyfriend; it was clear that he had gotten knowledge that Tabitha was Nikki Strykher. But, he decided to handle things himself and accidentally let a bit of Joker's putty gun gas leak out. Bruce had watched the tape again to see if he had missed something: he had. The gas had gotten into Ethan's lungs. Since Joker had never used the putty on a human, the effects were unknown. Ethan could be fine or he could be dying; no one knew. And, he didn't want anyone helping him, which led Bruce to figure that something bad was happening to his body.

And, Bruce had been right. Chief Rojas had been the target of someone's wrath and he had thought that it was Joker at first. But, himself and Yin figured out that Ethan indeed transformed, into a clay-like creature, and was the one trying to torment the police chief. He had been captured and was awaiting trial.

Bruce found Tabitha in the cafeteria area, eating. She looked up at him.

"It's about Ethan, isn't it?" she already knew by the way he looked at her.

"Tabitha… Ethan's… transformed."

"Transformed? To what?"

"When I went in to save him, Joker's putty gun leaked out some gas. It got into Ethan's lungs…"

"Oh, God…" Tabitha almost dropped her fork.

"There was a reason why he wouldn't open the door for anyone. He had been transformed into… clay. He tried to kill Chief Rojas and me and Yin stopped him. He's being contained in a special cell, awaiting trial."

"Are you… going to see him?"

"Not if you're not going. Tabitha… I'm going to tell him that I'm Batman. He has a right to know." Bruce told her. Tabitha slowly finished her meal.

"Then, we're all cleaning out our closets, then."

Tabitha and Bruce arrived at the Gotham City Jail. They were both greeted by Yin.

"I knew that you would want to see him. Are you sure you're ready?"

"Cocked, locked and ready to rock..." Tabitha breathed out. Yin led them towards the back, along with two other guards. They were led to a laboratory surrounded in glass. Inside, in a glass cell, a grey glob of clay paced angrily around, "Is… is that… Ethan?"

"Yes." Yin sighed. She signaled for one of the scientists to let the three inside the main lab. As soon as they walked in, Ethan stopped his pacing and immediately looked at Tabitha. She approached the glass cell and looked at him with watered eyes.

"Ethan…" she managed. She placed her hand on the glass and Ethan did the same. He wanted to touch her, once again, and Tabitha saw it in his eyes. She turned to look at one of the scientists, "Let me in." she demanded. They looked at her, about to tell her no but Yin stepped forward.

"Go ahead. He wouldn't hurt her." she said. One of the men unlocked the door and almost shoved Tabitha in, locking the door immediately behind her. She stared at the glob that was once Ethan and stiffened when parts of him reached out towards her.

"Tabitha…" his voice was gargled and hoarse. He quickly turned around, "I don't want you seeing me like this…"

"Then… let me see you the way you want me to see you." she told him. Ethan immediately transformed into his former self and looked at her. He came towards her and grabbed her hands, immediately kissing them.

"You came back to me…" he wanted to cry. She hugged him.

"Told you I would. I love you, Ethan."

"I love you, too. I've missed you so much. How's your mom?"

"Ethan… there's something that I have to tell you. I… wasn't in Tennessee."

"What? Then, where…" he was about to ask. But, Tabitha stopped hugging him and stepped away from him. She looked back at Bruce and Yin, sighed and reluctantly snatched off her head wrap. Yin looked on in amusement and then looked at Bruce.

"She's that… lightning woman! Did you know?"

"N-no. This is new to me!" Bruce feigned a look of surprise. Ethan stared in amazement as well. That was why she always wore that head wrap, he finally realized.

"Bat's sidekick…"

"I wanted to tell you but… I didn't know how. I'm sorry…"

"Tabby… why?"

"I wanted to make your life easier. I thought that if I either caught Batman or at least showed that he wasn't all that bad then maybe… maybe Rojas would cut you some slack. It never dawned on me that I would've came face-to-face with you…"

"You were doing this for me?"

"I was trying to…" Tabitha explained. But, Ethan hugged her. He gave her a passionate kiss and looked lovingly into her eyes.

"You're always thinking about me." he said and hugged her, again. He leaned closer to her ear, "Does that mean you know who The Batman is?" he whispered. Tabitha thought about what Bruce had talked to her about before they got there. She knew that he couldn't reveal who he was with Yin there. So, Tabitha made the decision to help him out a little.

"Yes. It's… Bruce." she whispered back. It made Ethan stop hugging her and he looked dead into her eyes. Being a former detective, he could still tell when someone was lying and her eyes told him that what she just revealed was indeed the truth. He glanced up at Bruce, studied him a bit and Bruce knew that Tabitha had told him all of the truth. He swallowed hard and approached the glass cell.

Before anyone could blink, Ethan went back into his clay form and wrapped an appendage around Tabitha's neck, slamming her into the glass wall. He glared at Bruce.

"You were supposed to be my friend! How could you?" he raged. The scientists rushed to unlock the door, to get Tabitha out of there and Yin raised her weapon. Bruce grabbed a fire extinguisher.

"Tabitha, shock him!" Yin yelled. But, Tabitha didn't move. Even as she felt the constriction of air, she did nothing. She had promised herself that she would never throw lightning at Ethan ever again and she was sticking to her promise. The door flew open and Bruce immediately doused the area with the extinguisher. It immediately froze Ethan in place and Bruce pried Tabitha out of harm's way. She coughed to catch her breath and Yin put her head wrap back around her hair before more officers flooded the room.

Bruce and Tabitha were heading back to Wayne Manor and Bruce looked at her.

"Why didn't you shock him?"

"I couldn't. I told myself that one night would be the last time I would do that to him."

"He could've killed you…"

"Maybe I deserved it…"

Before heading to her room, Bruce made a quick stop to talk to J'onn.

"So, that's why she hasn't been able to concentrate."

"I was wondering if you could keep her off a few missions. Just until she's able to concentrate. She's a great electrical technician." Bruce pointed out. J'onn thought about it.

"I'll talk to her about it. It would be nice to have one of our own taking care of the electrical units here. I'll come with you, if you're going to her room right now." J'onn said and the two headed to Tabitha's room.

Tabitha was thankful that Bruce was taking the time to check on her ever so often ever since the incident with Ethan. She was learning to let go, slowly and it was a painful process; she had never been that deep in love with anyone, not even with Tony. She loved Tony as a friend and never thought that it would go beyond that. But, with Ethan, she could have seen them married.

That day, she was being visited by Bruce and J'onn and she tried to keep her mind blank. Bruce sat beside her on the bed while J'onn stood.

"How are you?" Bruce asked. Tabitha smiled a bit and nodded.

"A little better. How do you do it; both of you? Not fall in love…" Tabitha wanted to know. Bruce shrugged but J'onn just stood there. He had been married before, with a daughter. He once had a family until the destruction of his race by his own twin brother. He had only fallen in love once more but had never acted on it, seeing that she was a villainess. After that, he had told himself that he probably wouldn't find anyone else for him.

"We think about other things. Protecting the innocent." J'onn spoke up. Bruce had been hurt before in the love department, plenty of times and being Batman was one way not to think about love.

"I don't know. I try not to think about it. None of this was your fault, Tabitha. Ethan's mind is unstable."

"I know. Doesn't make the pain go away, though…"

"It'll leave; trust me. And, maybe… someone else will come along. Who knows? He could be right underneath your nose…" Bruce had to smile at that. He had thought about how Wally quickly grown attached to Tabitha; the two raced each other once a week all day until J'onn gave them several warnings. She almost matched his child-like behavior to a tee, so much so that J'onn never assigned Wally to train her; they wouldn't get anything done! Bruce had a thing about dating a Justice League member; he didn't do it. But he had to admit that he had never seen Wally so genuinely happy.

Tabitha thought nothing of it at first but then let the words sink in. Right underneath her nose: was he talking about himself? It made her wonder how did Bruce really feel about her and if he was throwing out the obvious hint, how did he end up falling in love with her? She returned the smile and laughed a little at the idea.

"I guess I'll have to take your word for it! Thanks, Bruce." she said. She had to think about everything that he had done for her; the on-site job interview, getting her the apartment, always eating in the diner with her and even assigning her as his personal electrician. It had to be an obvious hint; Bruce really **was **in love with her! Tabitha hugged him and couldn't help planting a kiss on his cheek.

Bruce hugged her back but was stunned a bit by the kiss on the cheek. Maybe it was a southern thing; they were very affectionate there, he thought.

"Anytime."

"Tabitha, I wanted to give you a rest for a while. I believe you only have two more training sessions and then you'll be able to start missions. But, I want to assign you to something else, only for a little while. Bruce mentioned that you're a great electrician. Would you mind looking at some electrical components around Watchtower? Just until you feel comfortable enough to go on missions."

"Actually… I'd like that."

Tabitha finished yet another wiring job for one of the numerous computer systems in Watchtower. She mentally went over her checklist; after this, she had to stop by Diana's room and fix that scratch on her bracelet. It was Thursday and so she owed Wally a game of something!

She was about to pack up her toolbox until she saw a red blur; Wally, she smiled.

"Wally…" she warned. He came into sight and smiled at her.

"Tabby… done yet?"

"With my upgrades, yeah. Gotta stop by Diana's…"

"Nope; she'll have to wait until tomorrow. The greatest idea; let's go out."

"Out? You mean out, out? Club-type shit?"

"Yeah!"

"I can't…"

"Why not? Call your doc friend; she's invited, too!"

"Jay can't go; she has kids."

"We'll get J'onn to baby-sit." Wally said and Tabitha went into stitches.

"That'll be the day! The triplets would wear him out; they were fascinated by my hair! Seeing a tall green man would keep them up for days!" Tabitha laughed, "I'll give her a call."

"So, that means…"

"Yeah; I need her to help me pick something out to wear tonight."

Tabitha was shocked that Jamila had gotten permission to go out on the town with the two. The three were in a club in Metropolis and were having the time of their lives. Tabitha had finally made her way back to their table after dancing for the seventh straight song with a different man. Wally sipped on his mixed drink and offered Tabitha hers. She looked around.

"Where's Jay?"

"Restroom. Said something about how beer goes right through her. Having fun?"

"Yeah. You owe me a dance, though!"

"No problem! Hey, Tabby… you don't need to be so down, you know? There are plenty of fish in the sea! And… you got a shark after you now!" Wally said. Tabitha put her drink down and looked at him.

"What you getting at?"

"Really? You mean to tell me that you haven't noticed? Well… if you haven't figured it out by now, I won't say anything else!"

"Are you talking about yourself or…"

"Hold on; don't get me wrong: you're really pretty and all! But, I think of you as a sister. We have too much fun together to be… together, you know?"

"That's true. Well, that's a relief! So, this shark… how big we talking?"

"I still can't believe you haven't caught on to it! Think great white!" he told her and Tabitha laughed a little. It had to be Bruce, she thought to herself.

"Sounds like Aquaman but I know better than that!" she smirked and Wally laughed, "I think I know who you're talking about, now. What should I do, then?"

"You do like him, right?" Wally asked. Tabitha took another sip of her drink and thought about it. Of course, she did. But, she had always thought of Bruce as her boss, her friend. Ethan's best friend. He certainly was handsome. And extremely rich; no wonder Wally thought of him as a "shark"!

"I guess I do…"

"Go after him, then! Let him know how you feel. If anything, just think about the benefits you'll have being his main squeeze!" Wally smiled. Tabitha lightly pushed him but smiled herself thinking about those benefits.

Tabitha had finally made her way to Diana's room the following day. She smiled at Tabitha as she opened her door.

"Weren't you supposed to be here yesterday?"

"Wally…" Tabitha started but Diana laughed a little and shook her head.

"Should've known! Come on in." she let Tabitha in. Tabitha looked around the room, which was garnished with items that she had only read about during mythology lessons in high school, "You're looking better."

"It's all thanks to Wally… and Bruce. He's been there for me in my time of need. And last night, Wally pointed out how he really feels about me."

"So, Wally confessed…"

"No… me and Wally are just friends. He was talking about Bruce."

"Bruce? He said that Bruce is in love with you?" Diana was shocked. Tabitha looked at her.

"… You sound so shocked about it…"

"Tabitha… I've been after Bruce's heart for a while now. I would've known if he had feelings for someone else. Wally must be mistaken." Diana explained. Tabitha hid her disappointment and laughed a little.

"I thought so. I told him that me and Bruce were friends, anyway. He was just being nice. Um… I can fix your bracelet, now."

"Sure. This I will like to see, however."

"Of course."

Tabitha had tracked Bruce down in one of the recreation rooms. He was watching TV. He looked and smiled at Tabitha.

"Can I talk to you, alone?" she asked. He nodded and they went into the hallway.

"What's wrong?"

"Bruce… do you like me?"

"Of course I…"

"No; like me, like me."

"Oh. I had a feeling that you were confused about that conversation we had. Tabitha… Ethan was a lucky man to have you. You're my friend, if anything else. You were also my sidekick and now, a fellow Justice League member. I can't allow myself to date a member."

"What about Diana?" she asked, almost looking away. Bruce sighed and made her look at him.

"Diana is a great friend. I know that she is attracted to me. But, she knows my policy of dating members as well. We're not dating. I just… couldn't do it. I'd be too worried about her; about you. If a villain was to find out that two Justice League members were dating, they would use that for leverage… just like Joker tried to do."

"What…" Tabitha looked at him.

"He found out that you're Nikki, somehow. When he had Ethan, he called you out to come save him. That's why I didn't tell you about it because I know that something like that would affect my judgment. And… that's why I don't date or try to fall in love."

"I see. You were right; that would've messed with my head, big time. I'm sorry, Bruce. Damn Wally…"

"Wally put that idea in your head? That's who **I **was hinting at!" Bruce had to laugh.

"Why does everyone think Wally likes me like that? We're friends; almost brother and sister!"

"You have to admit; you two are a nice match."

"Never thought about it like that. He just… brings my inner child out, that's all! Thanks for clearing everything up."

"No problem."

She couldn't think of anyone else who Wally had been hinting towards. "Think great white". She had to deduct that it was one of the founding members, minus Bruce and Diana. That left Wally, Green Lantern, Superman and J'onn. Tabitha took Wally and Green Lantern out the equation: she knew how Wally felt about her and John was dating Vixen. That left Superman and J'onn. Tabitha knew that Superman wasn't interested in her; his love was Lois Lane. So… it was J'onn, Tabitha was shocked. She would have never seen him falling in love with her; they were two different personalities, two different species! J'onn was a mediator where although Tabitha was a born leader, she ditched the role when she became a mutant. He was intelligent, super intelligent; Tabitha could barely tell what piece did what in chess! She had never even seen J'onn furious where she almost lost it when she came face-to-face with Gary First for the last time.

Tabitha had to admit that those qualities made her attracted to him; that and his build! Everyone in Watchtower respected him and looked at himself and Superman as the overall leaders of Justice League. Now, she realized what Wally meant by the benefits she would have; being the girlfriend of the Monitor of Watchtower would definitely be a plus for her!

Tabitha was taking a long awaited break from her upgrades in the recreation room. She looked up only to be looking into the eyes of J'onn. She immediately got up.

"J'onn! I was just taking a small break…"

"Good. I have a small training session for you."

"Oh… okay." she said and saw that he had a box with him. He sat down and unloaded the box; a chess set, "I don't know how to play…"

"I'll teach you." he said and set the pieces up.

"It won't be fair…" Tabitha realized. J'onn looked at her, "Mind reader, remember?" she reminded him. It made J'onn laugh.

"It's not fun if I have to cheat."

"Never knew for you to have fun!"

"It happens once in a blue moon. Now, let me explain the pieces, first." J'onn started.

An hour later, the two were engaged in a practice game. Tabitha attempted to move her knight and J'onn laid a gentle hand over hers.

"No; remember, it's two paces up and one pace to the right or left." he corrected.

"Right, right! I told you I'm a rock, J'onn…"

"It takes some getting used to. You're not a… rock!" he laughed. Tabitha smiled.

"J'onn… why are you called a 'Manhunter'?"

"It's what detectives were called on Mars."

"Oh. J'onn, can I ask you something else?"

"Of course."

"How do you feel about Justice League members dating?" she asked after she moved her knight the right way. J'onn analyzed her move and her question at the same time.

"It's a personal preference. I have nothing against it. There certainly isn't a rule saying that it can't take place. I've tried not to put members who are dating on the same mission but sometimes it can't be helped. Besides, I trust everyone to use good judgment at all times, dating or not. I'm happy to see that you're moving on; I've noticed how happy you are when you're around Wally." J'onn pointed out. It was enough for Tabitha to laugh and shake her head.

"Me and Wally are not dating! We think of each other as family! I gotta stop hanging around him so much, I guess…" Tabitha felt and J'onn looked at her.

"It's not very often that I'm wrong. But, I see that I am. It's someone else on…" he was about to ask but had quickly went through her mind. She was attracted to him? For the moment, he was quite flattered, "Oh. It's me. Tabitha, I think of you as a member of the Justice League, only. You're very talented and skilled as well as attractive. But…" he tried to explain but Tabitha held up her hand.

"I get it. It's okay, J'onn. Silly thinking on my part."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. I have been around you a lot, lately; I could see how you speculated something like that. I would like to be considered your friend…" he tried to compromise. Tabitha smiled.

"I'll accept that. Now… are you gonna make a move or what?" she smiled. J'onn narrowed his eyes at her but couldn't help to smile.


	14. Taking One

Chapter Fourteen: Taking One for the Team

It had been a year since Tabitha made her home on Watchtower. She had long gotten over Ethan Bennett, who was now known as Clayface. But she had not been on as many missions as she would had liked. J'onn kept her busy for the most part making upgrades throughout Watchtower. He was even giving her lessons as far as how to monitor Watchtower, seeing that she was working on the electrical components, anyway. She was still attracted to him but didn't like the fact that he would not give her a chance on missions. The only clear times were when Diana, Wally or Bruce requested that she be put on their team.

Tabitha was in the cafeteria, eating lunch. She silently studied the others and saw that J'onn was sitting with Diana and John. She thought about the bag she had with her and smiled; if she had to bribe him into letting her go on more missions, she was willing to do so!

But, Tabitha just looked him over: she had never actually seen him eat. She wondered what Martians ate; how their digestive systems worked. She looked at his broad shoulders and chest and wondered if the rest of his race was built like him. She had been told that J'onn was a shape shifter but how he looked now wasn't far from what he really looked like. She slightly smiled trying to picture how he actually looked. Suddenly, J'onn looked up and stared at her; Tabitha realized that he had, once again, gone through her mind. She sighed a bit; the "bribe" was going to be used for something else, now.

"_J'onn, could you come here for a second, please? I know you're in my mind…"_ she figured. When he slightly smiled, excused himself and made his way over, Tabitha had to smile that she had been right. He sat down across from her. Tabitha put the brown bag on top of the table and slid it towards him, keeping her eyes on him.

"I know your secret, J'onn."

"My… secret?"

"Your guilty pleasure. Your… weakness. Look in the bag." she told him. J'onn did so and a smile crept up on his face.

"Oreos… are all these for me?"

"A package for each week you stay out of my head."

"Four weeks…" he noticed.

"I'll cut you some slack; three. If you can do it, we share the last package."

"How did you know that I like Oreos?"

"I've seen you try to sneak a few. Plus, I'm an Oreo addict, myself; I can smell 'em a mile away! So… do we have a deal?"

"Only if you play a game of chess with me." he said. Tabitha laughed.

"You don't like being outsmarted, do you? Fine." she smiled. J'onn smiled as well. She had been right; no one had outsmarted him before and she had done so almost without trying. It was a sign that she had matured and it moved something in him. J'onn had wondered how she knew that he was going through her mind and then realized that he had made one mistake; he had looked at her. What she was thinking about had shocked him to the point where he had to look at her to make sure that he had read her mind right.

J'onn had seen that even after a year, Tabitha still had some feelings for him. He had never lied to her; he just kept the whole truth away from her; probably more for himself than for her. He saw how she struggled with her rage at first and felt a little pity for her; he knew that it wasn't her direct doing, but the mutant strand that was now a part of her. Even still, he thought that she would not get over her rage and it wouldn't be for the best when and if she was to go on missions. Her final test had proved him wrong. He saw compassion in her eyes when she learned she had to fight Diana; he had admired the fact that she was willing to give up becoming a member if that meant she had to fight a Justice League member. She would not blatantly attack or harm an innocent bystander or a "good guy", which was more than what he could say for a few members at current. His heart went out to her while she went through the simulation of fighting her former best friend and she had broken down. She hadn't suffered as great of a loss as he had but it had shown that she indeed suffered and he knew exactly what she had felt. J'onn had watched Tabitha mature and learn and had to admit that, in turn, he was growing to become attracted to her.

It was one of the reasons why he hadn't assigned her as many missions. He made sure that if she went out she went out with the ones he trusted: Diana, John, Bruce and reluctantly, Wally. He knew that he was hindering her but J'onn felt better knowing that Tabitha was on Watchtower with him. He couldn't stop her from going back on Earth but was somewhat glad that she hadn't been back since becoming a member.

Bruce walked in the cafeteria and saw J'onn talking to Tabitha. He sat down by Diana and John.

"What's with that?" he asked as he watched J'onn set up a chess set.

"I don't know. She gave him something in the brown bag; a gift, I'm thinking." John said.

"She's probably trying to make him assign her to more missions. Why doesn't he let her go on more missions? She won't learn if he doesn't put her out in the field more." Diana pointed out.

"You're right. Maybe he feels it's best to keep her here. She's already finished with the west side of Watchtower. How's your armor?" Bruce smiled towards Diana. He knew that she was about to argue how Tabitha's talent was being wasted on upgrading items.

"I owe her an apology. They're better than ever. I want her to talk to Hephaestus; maybe he can teach her a few things. You know… she's working on Clark's cape…" Diana revealed. John and Bruce lifted up their eyebrows in shock.

"No wonder he wants her here on Watchtower. I think she can make anything indestructible; that'll definitely help out everyone." John said. The three finished their lunches and went over to where others had gathered, watching the chess match between J'onn and Tabitha. Bruce took a quick glance into the brown bag; Oreos. Bruce smiled; she had indeed bribed him. How she found out his weakness astonished him; he knew that he never mentioned it to her. She had definitely grown up while being on Watchtower, he noticed. Her rage was all but gone and he remembered how before he found out that Nikki was Tabitha how he wouldn't had minded being with Nikki. But, he couldn't allow himself to date another member, regardless of their powers. If Joker had found out that Nikki was Tabitha, then who was to say that others could find out as well? Villains would start going out of the way to take Tabitha hostage only to try to lure him out. The ultimate compromise: unmasking himself so that Tabitha would be freed. His identity was too important right now to risk it. Or, was it? He was going to tell Ethan that he was Batman but Tabitha did it for him. It almost cost her life but he was thankful that it didn't and that Clayface never said anything in public.

And, besides, Tabitha could take care of herself. After the frightening display of rage she showed against Penguin, the only villain who wasn't afraid of her was Joker. Every villain in Gotham City had felt the pain of her strike and he knew that none wanted to feel it, again. If there was a plot to kidnap her, Tabitha would simply give them a painful jolt and they would leave her alone.

Bruce thought about it as he watched with the others the tense match of intellect. But, he had seen something. Tabitha was actually winning. He had re-analyzed J'onn's moves and saw that he had been holding back. Bruce wondered if anyone else had caught on to it.

Ten minutes had gone by and Tabitha was still thinking about her move. No way, she kept thinking to herself. She had been putting J'onn into check for the past ten moves and knew that this couldn't be right. She finally made her move.

"Check… mate?" she looked at J'onn. Everyone else looked on in shock.

"No way…"

"She beat J'onn in chess!" everyone noticed. J'onn looked at the game, sat back and narrowed his eyes at Tabitha.

"Indeed that is. Excellent job, Tabitha." he finally smiled at her.

"Unbelievable! I got to tell everyone about this…" was what the other members were saying and everyone scattered, on their way to tell the others that J'onn J'onzz had been beaten in chess by Tabitha Lyght. Tabitha celebrated a bit but then looked at J'onn.

"Something ain't right. J'onn…" she started but he had packed up the chess game, much to Bruce's dismay.

"That was a very good game, Tabitha. We'll play a rematch soon."

"Hold it there, you! That was a fake! No way… J'onn! You… you let me beat you." she lowered her voice. J'onn grabbed the brown bag and smiled at her.

"Now, why would I do that?" he asked and left. Tabitha sat back down.

"Why **would **he do that?" she thought aloud. Bruce smirked. Because you provided him with his second love, he thought to himself.

And, J'onn kept his word. As much as he wanted to, he did not go into Tabitha's mind. He actually missed it; he enjoyed hearing what she had to think about him. He liked how her mind worked; when she wasn't thinking about him, she was thinking about Dr. Lindsey and her triplets. She thought about her work around Watchtower and how she had told herself she would get back into sculpting. He liked that she really admired Diana and had looked forward to going on missions with her; she had looked forward to meeting the gods that Diana knew. She even thought about her family and when the right time would be for her to go visit. She didn't think about materialistic things or not fully about herself. Whenever she thought about something she needed or wanted to do, J'onn saw that it would benefit someone else as well. Her sculpting, for one; she wanted to do a sculpture for Clark, thinking it ironic that he was nicknamed "The Man of Steel": she was going to make a steel sculpture for him. She hung out with Wally not only because she had fun with him but she saw that he had gotten a kick out of it as well. J'onn made his way to her room and realized that he had fallen in love with her.

He knocked on her door and she answered it.

"J'onn. Are you going to cheat again and let me win?" she smiled. He laughed.

"I told you that you won fair and square."

"Yeah, right…"

"I have a special mission for you."

"Really?" she lit up.

"I want you to go visit your family." he told her. Tabitha widened her eyes at him.

"J'onn. I don't…"

"I think they deserve to see you, regardless of how you look. Take Dr. Lindsey and her children with you. I'll even come with you, if it makes you feel more at ease."

"What about Watchtower?"

"I'm always connected with Watchtower whether I'm away or here. Come on."

"Wait; what if I don't… want to…"

"Tabitha, it's not a matter of not wanting to with you. You're afraid to face them with how you look. I'll go like this…"

"No! If we're taking the triplets, I advise you to shape shift! They wouldn't leave you alone if you went like that!"

"I think I can handle them!" J'onn reassured.

J'onn was wrong! As the two went inside the Lindsey's home, the three children, who had grown a bit taller from the last time Tabitha had seen them, blatantly stared at him. Tabitha shook her head as she hugged Jamila and Albert.

"I tried to tell him…" she mumbled. Jamil tugged at J'onn's cape.

"Is this a costume?"

"Are we going to a costume party?"

"Are you a real alien?"

"Momma, tell him to put some more clothes on; he'll get cold…" were the jumbled up responses from the triplets. Albert snatched Jamil's hand away as Jamila handled the other two.

"Watch it or you won't go! I'm sorry…" Jamila apologized but J'onn smiled.

"It's quite alright."

"Are you a superhero like Superman?" A.C. asked, ignoring the warning glares from his parents. J'onn looked down at him.

"Why do you ask?"

"Your cape."

"And boots!" Solonia chimed in, "Can you fly? Are you from another planet?"

"Yes and yes. And, I know Superman personally." J'onn thought that he was doing a good thing.

"Oh, dear God…" Jamila mumbled as she saw her children's eyes grow wide.

"Superman's real? You said he was fake!" Jamil looked at his parents.

"We got a superhero in our home!" A.C. said and it made the children run circles around J'onn, making "whoosh" sounds.

"What's his name, what's his name?"

"It's 'Super Alien'!"

"Su-per Al-ie-n, Su-per Al-ie-n…" the three chanted as they continued to run in circles. Instead of being overwhelmed, J'onn actually laughed. Jamila and Albert tried to get the attention of their children but failed. Tabitha let out a sharp whistle in the air, which halted the triplets where they stood. She looked at them with her hands on her hips.

"You guys know you're in trouble…" she warned them and they looked at their parents.

"We didn't do anything…"

"We just want to see him fly!" Solonia said. Jamila rubbed at the headache coming through and signaled for the three to come towards her.

"Just… go upstairs and put your shoes on. We're about to leave and I want total quiet from the three of you!"

"Are we flying there?" Jamil asked and the three giggled. Albert took a step towards his children and they bolted upstairs. Jamila sighed and looked at J'onn.

"Are you happy, now? You're gonna have to take them up to Watchtower to meet everyone, now!

J'onn had transported everyone to Chattanooga and Tabitha swallowed back the lump caught in her throat from looking at her parents' home. They had the same two cars from when the last time she had seen them. The house was still an off white and she noticed that her father finally finished the siding and the driveway. The grass had been cut: it was her brother's doing. Tabitha slowly approached the house and Jamila gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"You can do it. We're all here with you." she said. She looked behind her and gave her children a warning glare and found it funny that instead of hiding behind her husband or even Tabitha, they hid behind J'onn! He smiled down at them.

"Remember; we're all going to be on our best behavior."

"Yes, sir…" the three said in unison. Tabitha took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Seconds later, a tall, thin woman opened the door. Her eyes were the same light brown as Tabitha's and their faces were the same shape. She was a shade darker than Tabitha and her hair had been swept up in a dark brown bun, which now, Tabitha saw sadly, had a few streaks of grey scattered around. Olivia Lyght put her hands to her mouth and tears immediately followed.

"Tabby…" she managed before she grabbed her daughter.

"Mom…" Tabitha let her tears fall as well.

"Honey, who's at the door?" her father's voice almost thundered through the hallway; it made Tabitha smile and think back to all the times they would always hear his voice come through that hallway when her brothers and herself were causing trouble.

"Come in, come in; all of… you…" Olivia's watery eyes finally landed on the green man with the blue cape. She immediately looked at her daughter, "Tabitha…"

Before she could say something, a man, even taller than the two women entered the room. Jamila, Albert and J'onn immediately saw that Tabitha was the spitting image of her father, with the exception of the eyes; his were a soft grey. Curtis Lyght's hair was cut short and was an off brown color. He was more muscular than Tabitha had remembered and she figured that he had been working out more.

"Is that… my baby girl?" his deep southern twang rang out. Tabitha immediately ran to him and gave him a big hug.

"Daddy!" her tears continued to fall. He pulled away and examined his daughter.

"You ain't changed a bit, honey! Who's all this?" he suddenly asked, staring especially at J'onn. Tabitha cleared her throat.

"There's something that I have to explain…"

"Tabby!" a boy's voice was heard. Tabitha turned to look face-to-face with the baby of the family, Terry. He was also a spitting image of the father but his hair was dark brown like his mother's. Tabitha was amazed that he was now the same height as herself; the last time she had seen him, he was at her shoulders.

He grabbed her and twirled her around, lifting her up off her feet, "You're home! I got so much to tell you; whoa! A little late for Halloween, huh?" Terry took notice of J'onn. Tabitha shook her head and laughed.

"I'll explain later! Right now, I need to talk to mom and dad. You still watch wrestling, don't you?"

"Yeah, sure."

"These three are wrestling fanatics! Could you take them up to your room and let them watch some old tapes with you?"

"Alright. Hey, guys; ever heard of Macho Man Randy Savage?" he asked, taking the triplets upstairs. The adults sat down in the living room.

"Mom, dad; I want you to meet some important people in my life, now. This is Jamila Lindsey; Dr. Jamila Lindsey. This is her husband, Albert. Those were their children. And this is J'onn J'onzz. He's a Martian." she said as calm as she could. Her parents shook everyone's hands anyway but their eyes fell on J'onn.

"Is this a joke? Honey, we haven't seen you in years and then you come in here…" her father started. Tabitha snatched the head wrap from her head and her parents looked in awe at her snow-white hair.

"What happened to your hair?"

"Let me explain everything but you have to promise that you won't interrupt." Tabitha said and she went on to tell her parents how she came to be. She told them about the experiment and how the machine had killed her. She talked about being dumped in Memphis and being found by the good doctor. She went on about how Wyatt was going to cure her but was killed by Tony, who in turn was killed by her. She talked about moving to New York to attend school, befriending Peter, fighting alongside Spider-Man and finally coming face-to-face with Alpha. She also mentioned the failed procedure with Dr. Castillo and J'onn and Jamila glanced at each other; she hadn't told her what the two had found. J'onn figured that she would never tell her and thought that it was for the best. Tabitha had to have known by then that she would never be normal, again.

Then, Tabitha told her parents about her move to Gotham City, meeting Bruce and Ethan, helping Batman and finally becoming a full member of the Justice League. Olivia and Curtis had obeyed their daughter's wishes, not saying a word until she was finished. Curtis had heard of the Justice League and knew that his daughter was telling the truth. Tabitha had lost Olivia when she started talking about Spider-Man, however.

"So… that's why you couldn't tell us anything. I wish you would've; we would've been there for you, regardless. I can't believe that son-of-a-bitch did that to you…"

"Curtis!"

"Well, that's how I feel! He had the nerve to come into my house and tell me that my daughter was shipped off to Iraq! I should've known… you would've told us no matter what!" Curtis fumed. Olivia sighed.

"Do you still have these… powers?" she looked at her daughter. Tabitha sighed; she knew that her mother didn't believe her. So, she did the only thing she knew to do; Tabitha stood up and gave her mother a slight demonstration, letting the currents flow over her hands and arms. Her mother gasped but Tabitha was not expecting what had come next…

"She's magic, she's magic; Miss Tabitha's magic!"

"Oh, hell…" Jamila immediately got up to go and calm down her daughter. Solonia ran back upstairs to tell the other two what she had seen. Tabitha was right on Jamila's heels as they went into Terry's room. As expected, the triplets got up and danced around Tabitha, asking her to show off her powers. Tabitha sighed and knelt down to calm the triplets down.

"Guys, guys, GUYS! Calm down for a minute, okay?"

"Are you a superhero, too?"

"A super heroine, baby…" Jamila corrected A.C.

"Can you fly like Mr. J'onn?"

"Are you and Mr. J'onn boyfriend and girlfriend?" Solonia asked. Tabitha looked at her wide-eyed.

"Whoa! Where did **that **come from? Guys, just listen for a sec! Yes… I'm a superhero; shut up, Jamila!" Tabitha warned as Jamila opened her mouth to correct her, "My powers are very dangerous so I use them for good. But, you guys can't go around telling people that I have powers."

"What? Why not? All the kids in school will be jealous!" A.C. mentioned.

"Superman doesn't reveal his secret identity. Neither does any of the Justice League members. It's to keep us safe when we want to have a non-superhero day out. Then, if the villains found out who we were, they'd come after us. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"No…" Jamil frowned a bit.

"But… you're magic! They can't beat you!" Solonia lit up.

"You know how Superman has a weakness? I have a weakness as well. If everyone knew that Miss Tabitha was a superhero, then they would use that weakness to defeat me. Let's talk about it later, okay guys? Right now, we need to get something to eat! Let's see what my mom cooked…" she smiled and winked at the triplets.

Tabitha was glad for the day she spent with her family. Her other brothers stopped by and she had fun being with her family, once again. She told them that she was staying in Watchtower but would come to visit more often.

It was the only thing that made Tabitha smile; back on Watchtower, it was the same thing as before: J'onn did not give her as many missions as she felt she could go on. She was once again stuck with the job of technician. She grew resentment as others would come back with tales of their adventures while she was sent on minor missions for simple damage and crowd control or clean up. But, she didn't risk voicing her opinion at J'onn. She had made him a deal, a deal that she felt he was keeping.

Bruce thought of it as unfair but also thought that it was partly his fault. Tabitha deserved to be on more missions. How was J'onn to truly test out her rehabilitation if she didn't even go on missions? What was he afraid of; that she would slip and let her rage out? If that was the case, then one of them would be with her to help her control herself. She wouldn't attack a fellow Justice League member; he had seen it when he threw one of his Batarangs at her and she didn't retaliate. He didn't know what J'onn's problem was.

Another thing that was haunting him was his sudden feelings for Tabitha. He had to admit that he was a bit jealous that she was spending so much time in Watchtower with J'onn; he even knew that J'onn had been training her on working the controls for Watchtower. Maybe that was his real reason behind her not going on many missions; he wanted her as his replacement. Regardless, they spent a lot of time together, as well as herself and Wally. But, Wally had already confirmed that they were just friends and would never be more. Bruce felt bad about shooting her feelings down a year ago but he was adamant about how he felt about dating Justice League members. If that was the case, he would've already dated Diana. That didn't stop the fact that he really did care about Tabitha; still did. He saw what Ethan had seen in her; when she wasn't Nikki, Tabitha was caring, loving with a sense of humor. She was compassionate and understanding, having put up with Ethan being a detective. He admired that in her along with her will to compromise; he knew that she was none the willing to come to Watchtower to talk about her anger. He also admitted that he had another agenda behind suggesting to J'onn, Clark and Diana to have her looked at; he knew that she would be too busy being trained and looked at in Watchtower to try to be his sidekick. As with any sidekick, he was worried about their safety and/or with them getting in his way.

He had let his thoughts ramble, again and shook his head clear. He was in love with Tabitha, he admitted to himself as he walked past her door. Maybe it was high time for him to say something before someone else figured out what a great person she was. He was about to knock on her door to see if she was in but was stopped by the warning blare of Watchtower. Bruce made his way to the main area along with the other members who were walking around. When he got there, he sadly saw that Tabitha was nowhere to be found. J'onn briefed everyone on the situation and transported everyone to designated areas in the Midwest; a couple of teenagers had found an alien ship equipped with robotic insects that were devouring everything in their path. He immediately thought about Tabitha and how her ability would've done wonders here; her surges would've knocked the creatures into submission. But, he was left to fight them with all he had.

Diana was right beside him and they immediately saw the big problem; every time they hit one insect, it would split into two. Bruce looked around and saw that the others were having the same problem.

"Not good. J'onn, we're doing all we can and they're splitting into more with every hit."

"Nanotechnology. Bruce, can you spare anyone to get into contact with Ray Palmer?"

"I'm on it." Bruce said, making his way to the Batwing.

"I'll try to buy you some time." J'onn told him. He readied Watchtower's main weapon, a nuclear laser. He set the coordinates so to create a crater between the nanobots and the town. The outcome, however, drained the entire Watchtower of power.

"Now, we wait…"

Tabitha popped out of sleep and noticed that it was pitch dark in the room. Something happened, she thought as she rushed out the room. She made her way to the main area and saw that J'onn was over the controls. He looked at her.

"J'onn…"

"Everything's fine… here. Remember the laser I told you about?"

"You had to fire it? It's **that **bad down there? I slept through the alarm! J'onn…"

"It's okay; I didn't want you down there, anyway. We'll be powerless for an hour. We'll know the status then, hopefully."

"What about the government? They're not gonna like the fact that you just used that weapon. They're gonna think bad about it…"

"They always think bad about us. Something that I don't like but it was something that had to be done." he explained. Tabitha nodded and used her flashlight to make sure nothing was damaged.

"Never had to deal with anything nuclear. I can move into this room next but I don't know if I can stop the weapon from draining all the power. Maybe shorten the time it takes to reload…" Tabitha actually thought to herself. J'onn smiled a little.

"That would be appreciated. Hopefully, I'll never have to use the weapon, again. At least not towards Earth."

"It won't affect the others…"

"No. They were informed before I fired." he reassured her. Tabitha sighed a bit. She looked at J'onn, let down that she hadn't been even informed of the mission. While getting to the lobby, she had noticed that Watchtower was completely empty. Tabitha took a deep breath.

"If it's alright with you, I'm going back to my room."

"That's fine." he said and she left. He let out a small sigh; without reading her mind, he could tell that Tabitha was very upset with him. He felt guilty that he had manipulated her mind to sleep through the alarm; had she heard it, he would have had no choice but to let her go on the mission.

An hour had passed and the power had come back to Watchtower. J'onn had received word that The Atom, Ray Palmer, had infiltrated the mother ship and was almost done taking it down. Tabitha sighed as she lay in bed; she hadn't been able to go back to sleep. As soon as the power came back, she immediately got up and went to track J'onn down. He was in the recreation room. He looked at her and knew that she was upset. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"J'onn… I hope what I'm about to say doesn't jeopardize my standing as a member. Why haven't you let me go on many missions? What is it; you don't trust that I can handle myself out on the field?"

"It's not that. Tabitha…"

"So, what is it? Just like this mission, everyone left for it except me! And, I know you had a hand in that; I know I would've heard the alarm going off! I've been in the league for a year, now and I've got nothing to show for it! Except, being a technician. If I wanted to be a technician, I would've stayed in Gotham City!" she fumed. She felt that was the only good she was, being Watchtower's technician. It wasn't enough; there were plenty of human workers that had been enlisted to take care of the day-to-day care of Watchtower. What was she there for?

Tabitha was deeply hurt and let a few tears drop. She angrily wiped at them when J'onn got up and approached her. She looked at him, "I guess I've said enough. I'll turn in my key card and other things…" she continued and turned to leave. But, J'onn grabbed her by her arms.

"Tabitha! I couldn't let you go on this mission."

"Why not? I can handle myself!" she cried.

"I couldn't live with myself if something was to happen to you!" emotion came out of him, something that Tabitha had never seen, ever. She looked at him in shock.

"J'onn…"

"I had a family once. A wife and a daughter. I lost them and couldn't do anything about it. I refuse to lose you." he wiped at her tears. She felt foolish and wanted to turn away. But, J'onn wouldn't let her. He looked deeply into her eyes, wanting so much to go through her mind. Although the three weeks had been up, he had refrained from doing it as much as he had in the past.

"Oh, J'onn…" was all that Tabitha could say. J'onn could only lean in and give her a soft kiss.

Bruce and the others were transported back to Watchtower to make their report. He had made up his mind while on his way to Ray Palmer's lab; he was definitely going to tell Tabitha how he felt… as well as talk to J'onn about how he felt about her absence on the big missions. As he made his way past one of the recreation rooms, something caught his eye. He went back to look… and stood frozen with a broken heart. There was J'onn, alright: but he was embracing and kissing Tabitha. He watched as J'onn cupped her face and Tabitha wrapped her arms around his neck. He quickly left to let them have their moment. Maybe it wasn't meant for him to fall in love, he thought as he went to take a quick shower.


	15. Elements of Nature

Chapter Fifteen: Elements of Nature

"Tabitha, you got a minute?" John asked as he came in the recreation room. She looked up at him and slightly smiled.

"Sure. Just watching some old black and white." she said. John looked at the television.

"'Murder, Inc.'; didn't know you liked vintage TV."

"Eh; I enjoy the classics every now and then!"

"I wanted to know if you wanted to go on a mission with me."

"A mission? A real one?" Tabitha lit up. John had to sigh a bit.

"Not exactly. It's more like training. There's a young man named Virgil who has powers similar to yours. I want you to meet him."

"Sounds better than crowd control; when do we leave?"

Tabitha and John traveled to Dakota and the two were immediately greeted by Virgil Hawkins in full gear as Static. He donned a blue and yellow trench coat with yellow goggles and a white mask. His dreads were jet black and he was the same brown complexion as John. He smiled at the two.

"GL. Good to see you, again."

"Virgil, this is Tabitha. She might be able to teach you a thing or two."

"Your powers aren't straight lightning, are they?"

"No. Electromagnetism. I'm not quite sure if it's the same, though…"

"It's not. Pretty much, you have my powers of electricity plus magnetism combined. Huh; that means you're better!" Tabitha laughed a little. She looked at John, "And, you think that I can teach **him **a few things?"

"You just gave him his first lesson." he smiled.

Tabitha and John were led to the "Gas Station of Solitude", Virgil and his friend Richie's hideout. Tabitha took her mask off and had gotten comfortable as she listened to how Virgil and a handful of other citizens came to be. She shared with him how she came to be as well.

"So, you're going to teach Static some moves?" Richie asked. Tabitha laughed a little.

"Actually, he might be able to teach me a few things! I have no idea how to control magnetism. That's too advance for me! But, I will tell you two everything I know about lightning properties."

"Heard you upgraded some JL members' gear. Think you could teach me that?" Virgil asked. Tabitha smiled.

"Sure."

"You know that a breakthrough is almost here. We all can be cured, soon. Think it'll do some good for you?" Richie asked. Tabitha sat back and thought about it. She had almost given up becoming normal, again, with her family accepting who she was, now. And, if she was to become normal, would she be forced to leave Justice League? Then, there was J'onn to think about. She was pretty sure that he wouldn't mind it at all if she was to be normal, again.

"I don't know. Maybe. I've… kinda gotten used to being this way. But, you guys keep me posted if something comes through." she decided. All of the sudden, two people came in. Tabitha jumped up and was charging up but Virgil smiled and held her back.

"It's okay. It's just Blaze and Reign. They're the good guys." Virgil confirmed. Tabitha stopped charging up and watched as the couple came nearer. The guy was tall and slim, a couple of inches taller than herself. The girl was full figured with hair as long as Tabitha's, being a blend of honey blond, red and off black. She wasn't white, Tabitha could see; she had distinctive Hispanic features in her face.

"New member? Wait; I know you. You're… Batman's sidekick! The lightning woman!" Blaze smiled. Tabitha laughed; there was something about his smile that was familiar.

"Tabitha. It's good to know that I've been followed."

"Are you kidding me? You're like Static, just about."

"She's a little better…"

"Says you!" Tabitha looked at Richie. She drew her attention back to the couple, "So, let me guess: Blaze, your powers have something to do with fire and Reign; that's a gimme: your powers are water-based."

"Close enough. They're what we like to call Benders; they can manipulate water and fire." Virgil explained. Immediately, Reign lifted her hands and made the liquid in a nearby cup come out. Another movement and the water spelled out her name. Blaze took a meditation stance and before Tabitha could blink, he created a ring of fire around him.

"Wow! How'd you do that without having…"

"I just use the oxygen around me." he explained. Tabitha nodded. She looked at their hands and noticed wedding bands.

"Married. Fire and water? Isn't that a… what did Dr. Linz call it… an oxymoron?"

"Wait. You said Dr. Linz? Dr. Jamila Lindsey?"

"… Yeah. You know doc?"

"I'm her brother." Blaze said. Tabitha studied him and finally smiled. The pictures around the doc's home of herself and her brother; she wondered why it didn't dawn on her until then.

"Ramil…" she smiled, still, "Your sister talked so much about you. She just never said where you were."

"She doesn't know. I couldn't tell her. Not after… the 'Big Bang'. How are the triplets?"

"They're growing! They met J'onn J'onzz…" Tabitha smiled. Ramil laughed.

"Martian Manhunter? In his true form? I bet they ran wild…"

"Like you wouldn't believe! Hey… you need to see your sister. She… cared for me for a whole year when I was going through my ordeal. She's the reason why I know so much about lightning components and properties."

"Figured; she's nuts about weather! I'll think about it."

"Don't think; do. I'll come with you; it'll give me another excuse to go visit. But, for now; I guess I have some training to do!"

Tabitha came back from Dakota feeling more important than ever. She finally met the phantom brother of her best friend and kept her word by going with him to visit her friend. She was moved to tears watching Jamila being reunited with Ramil. Tabitha knew that she would understand that her brother had been transformed all due to what happened in Dakota and was actually amazed by his powers. What really got to her was that he had gotten married. The two made plans to move to Memphis to be with his sister.

Tabitha went back to Watchtower and couldn't help but to talk about it with J'onn. He smiled as she spoke as they stood over the controls of Watchtower.

"I'm very happy to hear that. And, what did you think about Virgil?"

"He's a special guy. I like his powers. He owes me a training session. I need to study up on electromagnetism."

"I could help you. I went through Bruce's mind once and taught him how to fly a Martian aircraft."

"You could do that? J'onn… what **are **your powers?"

"I could demonstrate all but a few; I refuse to wipe your mind: there's no need for it." he told her. Tabitha just shook her head.

"So, you can do anything. You can shape shift, make the mind do whatever you want it to do, fly… is there anything you can't do?" Tabitha smiled. J'onn smiled back.

"I guess not." he leaned closer to her. Some crewmembers walking through made him change his mind about kissing her, "Do you think Virgil is Justice League material?"

"Yeah; no doubt. John likes him. I think Blaze; Ramil and Ashley are, too. But, they're all 'bang babies'. With the exception of a few rogue ones, they're all looking to get cured. Virgil… offered me to take up on that opportunity. What do you think?"

"Let's take a break." J'onn immediately decided and led her away from the control center. They went to her room, where he finally could embrace and kiss her. Tabitha smiled.

"You've wanted to do that all day…"

"Of course. Now… what I think is not important. What do **you **think about becoming normal, again?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't be able to weld or make clothes, anymore. But… I'd be normal." she thought about it. J'onn cupped her face and gave her another kiss.

"I would not leave you alone if you were to become normal, again. I know that's what you're thinking, even without going through your mind. I'm not with you because of your powers, I'm with you because of who you are, period."

"But… we're still not telling anyone about us?" Tabitha smiled a little. J'onn laughed.

"No one would be ready to face that right now. Give it time."

Bruce came up to Tabitha as she was about to sit down to watch TV. The first thing that he wanted to say was that he knew that she was dating J'onn. But, he kept his mouth shut.

"Hey; haven't seen you here in a while. Gotham City got you busy?"

"You could say that. I wanted to ask if you were going to keep your apartment in town."

"Oh. Wow; hadn't thought about it! I guess not, since I've made Watchtower my home. You renting it out to someone else?"

"A few people are interested."

"Okay; no problem. I can go clean it out right now." Tabitha said and got up, "_J'onn, I have to go to Gotham City to clean out my old apartment._" she sent a message via telepathy.

"_If you need any help, just let me know."_

"_Of course."_ Tabitha couldn't help but to smile. If it wasn't for the green skin and appearance, Tabitha would have never guessed that J'onn was a Martian: he acted like a regular man in love.

Tabitha's plan was to get as much work done as possible before dark. She was glad that the apartment was small and the majority of the furniture came with it; all she really had to do was get her belongings out and clean the rooms. She started in the kitchen and was done in thirty minutes. Tabitha put on her earphones and listened to her iPod to make the time go quickly. Before she knew it, she was done packing and cleaning the bedroom. Tabitha danced out of the room and was shocked to see J'onn standing in the middle of the room.

"J'onn! You scared me! I told you I'd let you know if I needed help…" she smiled. Not saying a word, J'onn embraced her and gave her a kiss. Tabitha smiled at first but then automatically knew that something was wrong. She pushed him away, "… you're not J'onn…" she realized. The imposter smiled and transformed into a being with sharp, angular features.

"Not bad for a human. You must be pretty close to my brother."

"… Brother?" Tabitha asked. J'onn's brother grabbed the back of her head and yanked her towards him.

"Where is he? Take me to him!" he snarled at her. Tabitha slightly smiled.

"_You're out your damn mind if you think I'm a tell you anything!_" she thought. But, something wasn't right. He just stared at her and yanked her even harder.

"What are you smiling about, human? Tell me where he is!" he demanded. Tabitha charged up and shocked him, making him let go of her abruptly. He grabbed her and flung her across the room. Tabitha hit the wall hard. Before the Martian could reach her, Tabitha did a Lightning Cloud and was right behind him. She tried for a punch but he became transparent, sending Tabitha stumbling. She looked and saw that he was invisible.

"Son-of-a-bitch…" she mumbled. Tabitha charged up and filled the room with lightning but to no avail. The brother of J'onn proved that he had the same powers minus one, "What do you want from me?" she yelled and tried her lightning attack once more. She felt a hard blow to her head and fell. Tabitha was suddenly lifted up by her throat and the Martian came back into view.

"Give me J'onn J'onzz, human! Make him come to you! I want to show him who's the better brother!" he clenched harder around her throat.

"You're not… better. You can't even… read minds…" she managed. The Martian snarled and slammed her into another wall. His appearance changed once more, into a monstrous being with razor sharp teeth. Tabitha would've gasped had the Martian not had a grip around her throat still. But, he saw it in her eyes that he had terrified her and laughed.

"What's the matter, human? J'onn has never showed you his true form?" he relished in the fact that she was terrified, too frightened to even produce her lightning powers against him.

"Tabitha…" J'onn's voice seemed to echo in the room. Her communicator, Tabitha thought. Instead of having it in her ear, she had it clipped to the side of her pants so that she could listen to her music. His brother snatched it away from her side and smiled even more.

"Hello, brother…"

J'onn took a step back and his heart pounded.

"Ma'alefa'ak…" he narrowed his eyes. Bruce looked at him.

"Your brother? He has Tabitha?"

"It's been too long, brother. I have a gift for you. I wonder how the H'ronmeer's Curse will affect a human…" Ma'alefa'ak pulled out a vial and held it inches away from Tabitha's face.

"No! It's me you want, not her!"

"Then, find the human and come to me, J'onn!" he said and ended the transmission.

Ramil and Ashley looked up at the apartment building in the Financial District.

"Are you sure this is it? What if she's not there?" Ashley asked her husband. He shrugged.

"Then, we'll get Mila to ask J'onn for permission to get on Watchtower to visit her. But, she said Batman said Tabitha should still be here. Gotta admit, this looks too high priced for her!"

"The benefits of screwing one of the founders of Justice League?" Ashley asked and Ramil laughed.

"Don't tell her that Mila said anything about that!" he warned as the two went inside. They found Tabitha's apartment and saw that the door was slightly opened. Thinking nothing of it, Ashley and Ramil walked in only to find a green monster holding Tabitha up by her throat. By the time Ma'alefa'ak had turned around, it was too late. Ashley immediately made water from the bucket by the door fly towards him, turning it into a stinging whip. Ma'alefa'ak dropped Tabitha and drew his attention to the couple. Ashley drew more water from the bucket and formed an ice bubble around Ma'alefa'ak. Tabitha finally caught her breath and looked up.

"Ashley… Ramil…" she smiled. J'onn and Bruce appeared right before Ma'alefa'ak broke free of his ice prison. He smiled at J'onn as he transformed back to his first form.

"So… you came to save your human, J'onn? You should've died with the rest of your kind!" he snarled. He reached for something, the vial he was holding, Tabitha realized. She picked it up from where he had dropped it.

"Looking for this?" she had to smile. Ma'alefa'ak started after her.

"Stupid human…" he charged. All of the sudden, Ma'alefa'ak stopped dead in his tracks. He looked in awe, the only thing that could move were his eyes, "What's… happening to me…" he asked no one in particular. Tabitha thought that it was J'onn's doing but as she looked behind Ma'alefa'ak, she noticed that Ashley had her hands out. She stretched her arm out, which made Ma'alefa'ak do the same.

"Give him the vial, Tabitha." Ashley smiled. Tabitha caught on and handed the vial to him. Ashley made him close his hand around it and with a quick clench of her fist, the vial burst into his hands.

"No!" he yelled. The blue liquid oozed out of his hand and down his arm. Tabitha threw her lightning at his arm and Ma'alefa'ak yelled out in pain. Ashley stopped controlling his body and Ramil threw out a spiraling wave of fire at him, and Tabitha noticed that J'onn did all but run away from the flames. It engulfed Ma'alefa'ak and the five watched as he melted down into a bubbling green liquid. Seconds later, the liquid evaporated and J'onn came to Tabitha's aide. He hugged her and looked her over.

"Are you alright?"

"No; you have a lot of explaining to do! That goes for you, too! How the hell did you do that?" Tabitha asked Ashley.

"I took a wild guess with him but blood is liquid. I can bend any type of liquid. I call that blood bending. I try not to do it unless it's a last resort."

"Thank you; both of you." Tabitha smiled. The husband and wife duo smiled back as J'onn hugged her.

J'onn and Tabitha were back on Watchtower in her room. He kissed her on her forehead and held her tight.

"I'm so glad you're safe."

"So, now you're gonna tell me that I can never leave Watchtower, again?" she slightly smiled. J'onn smiled with her.

"I would have never thought that something like this would happen on your day off. You're right; I have a lot of explaining to do."

"Is it just you who can read minds or was it just your brother who couldn't?"

"In our standards, my twin brother…"

"Figured…" Tabitha interrupted. J'onn smiled.

"He was born a mutant. He didn't have any telepathic powers. So, as we grew older, he resented his own race. He engineered this virus that affected anyone who used their telepathy. It was… contagious…"

"J'onn… your wife and daughter… I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. It was centuries ago. After all this time, I had hoped that Ma'alefa'ak thought that I had died as well."

"I want to know how he knew that he could reach you through me."

"It could've been a lucky guess or he could've followed you at some point. Remember; he was still a shape shifter."

"Oh; J'onn, I hope you know that Ramil didn't mean to…"

"I know. He didn't know about our weakness."

"So, you were afraid of it."

"I've grown a slight tolerance to it although fire still renders me powerless. I have to know; how did he appear to you?"

"He was… you. He… kissed me. I knew then that something wasn't right."

"How could you tell?" J'onn asked. Tabitha smiled and gave him a light kiss.

"No one kisses like you. They can shape shift and mimic you all they want. But, your kiss… that's something no one can copy!" she told him and J'onn warmed up to that fact.

Something had stirred in J'onn finally to make love to Tabitha. They were both still in her bed as they stared at the ceiling.

"… wow!" Tabitha blinked. J'onn couldn't help but to laugh.

"My thoughts exactly! That was incredible! I think I could get used to this…" he said. Tabitha laughed and slightly pushed him. J'onn laughed and lay on top of her.

"J'onn… what's your true form?" Tabitha wanted to know. He knew that the subject would come up, especially after she had dealt with Ma'alefa'ak.

"Only six people have seen my true form. You'll be the seventh." he smiled and transformed to the figure that his brother had at first. His build had become slender but his face remained the same. Tabitha just stared at him.

"You're not holding back, are you?"

"No. My brother told you something different, didn't he? Did he frighten you?" he became worried, again. Tabitha could've lied and said no but she knew that J'onn would only go through her mind and find out the truth. She nodded.

"I was too scared to move…" she admitted. Tabitha swallowed that fear back as J'onn transformed back to the form that she knew, "He said that it was your true form, too."

"What did he show you?" J'onn asked, seriously. Tabitha didn't want to recall it but the image played in her mind automatically. J'onn knew that she wouldn't be able to tell him and he went through her mind. He felt her shake a little and held her tighter. He leaned in and lovingly kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered. He had to do it; he didn't want that image haunting her for the rest of her life, especially if they were to be together. J'onn quickly wiped the image away from Tabitha's mind. He knew that it worked when she looked at him with a blank stare.

"Sorry for what?"

"That you had to go through that ordeal." he said and kissed her.


	16. Time After Time

Chapter Sixteen: Time After Time

J'onn and Tabitha had been dating for months and none of the other Justice League members were the wisest of it, except for Bruce. After dealing with Ma'alefa'ak, J'onn made sure that someone was with Tabitha at all times whenever she left Watchtower, preferably himself. He seriously considered stepping down as Monitor and letting Tabitha take over the controls; he had trained her well enough for her to do so. J'onn slowly started to accept the fact that he was no longer in love with her; he loved her.

After being almost tortured by J'onn's twin brother, Tabitha didn't blame J'onn for being overprotective of her. But, she couldn't remember what had made her so frightened of Ma'alefa'ak. Maybe it was the fact that he was almost like J'onn except he couldn't read minds; had Ashley and Ramil not shown up, Tabitha would have been dead.

Tabitha was sitting at the lunch table with Shayera. She knew that Shayera was the seventh founding member as Hawkgirl but her act of betrayal had caused for her to be the first member to resign from Justice League; she had chosen loyalty to her people rather than to the Justice League and was fooled by her own people, the Thangarians. She was admitted back, with Diana being the only one opposing; since the two had become close comrades, Shayera's betrayal had hurt her deeply. After what she had gone through almost two years ago, Tabitha knew how it felt to be betrayed by someone she considered her friend.

"You don't have to sit and talk to me; no one else does."

"You made a mistake; so what. We humans make them all the time. I know how it is to think that you can trust someone, especially your own kind but then get stabbed in the back."

"Either you're really sincere or you've been hanging around J'onn too long!" Shayera said and the two laughed.

"Didn't think anyone noticed that…"

"No one else seems to pay it any mind but I have noticed the looks you two have given each other. Don't worry; your secret's safe with me!" she winked and Tabitha smiled. They were about to talk about something else until Tabitha saw that Shayera looked disgusted. She turned around and noticed Bruce and John walking towards the table with trays. Shayera gathered her tray and stood up, "It was nice talking to you, Tabitha. We should do it, again." she said and immediately left.

"But… what…" Tabitha was confused as the two men sat down. Bruce smirked but John sighed, "What was that all about? What the hell did you do to her?" Tabitha asked the two men. Bruce shook his head.

"You mean, you didn't know? Shayera and John…"

"It's none of her concern." John snapped and started to eat his food. Tabitha stared at him for a second and then her eyes widened. She smiled at Bruce.

"They used to date? Really? John! You're the ladies' man around here!"

"It was a long time ago…"

"Not that long ago…" Bruce loudly whispered to Tabitha and the two slightly laughed. John sighed and looked at the two.

"Anyway; why are we always talking about my love life? What's going on between you and Diana?" John changed the subject. Bruce's expression changed and Tabitha eyed him, putting a big smile on her face.

"Yeah; tell us about you and Diana!"

"Nothing. She's a respected colleague."

"Uh huh…" John said and Tabitha snorted out a laugh.

"I don't have time to pursue a relationship. My work is too important to allow any distractions…"

"A relationship is a distraction?" Tabitha asked and drank her water. Bruce smirked at her. Tabitha slightly looked up and saw that Diana was right behind Bruce. Her smile grew.

"To some people, yes. And besides, it's nothing against her. Diana is a remarkable woman. She's a valued friend. She's… standing right behind me, isn't she?" he saw that Tabitha was near laughter.

"Don't let that stop you; keep digging!" she said and John and Tabitha laughed. She sat down with them, "Off subject: you seem to be fine not going on missions, anymore." Diana pointed out to Tabitha. She shrugged as she ate her mashed potatoes.

"Too much pressure. I enjoy doing upgrades more. Remind me to take a look at your Batarangs." Tabitha said to Bruce. He nodded. The four talked more about other things until an alarm sounded throughout the room.

"Intruder alert?" John asked. That prompted the four to rush to see what the problem was. While leaving, they noticed someone in the armory. There was indeed an intruder and he was stealing Bruce's utility belt. He was a small man in what Tabitha thought was a jumpsuit. He looked at the four, put on goggles and a portal opened.

"What the hell…" Tabitha looked. Bruce went through the portal and the other three followed suit.

"What is this…" Diana asked. John formed a bubble with his ring around the four.

"Time traveling. I don't know where we'll end up; let's be on our toes when we do land." he warned. The four stayed patient as they waited out the wormhole. They finally landed in the middle of a desert. Tabitha looked around.

"The old west…" she pointed out. She looked at how everyone was dressed, "We'd stick out like sore thumbs like this. Gotta find some clothes." she told the others. Before they could agree with her, four masked men appeared on horses.

"Well, would you look at them fancy clothes!" one noticed. The four turned around and saw that there were guns being aimed at them.

"Don't look now but… I think we're getting robbed…" Tabitha smirked at Diana.

"Take care of the women, first!" another guy barked. The other three jumped off their horses. Tabitha smiled.

"I really hate when men underestimate women…" Diana said and Tabitha charged up. She threw lightning towards the guns, knocking them out of the robbers' hands. The Justice League members quickly took care of the robbers and Bruce tied them up.

"Well… there are four of them…" he noted.

After taking the clothes, the three mounted the horses. Tabitha just looked at hers.

"What's the matter?" John asked. Tabitha shook her head.

"I've… never ridden a horse before…" she admitted. Bruce almost laughed and helped her mount the horse.

"Don't worry; it's almost like riding a bike."

"So, what if I told you I never rode a bike, either?" Tabitha asked, seriously. Bruce and John laughed.

"Impossible! Just… relax. You'll be fine!" he reassured. John looked towards the buildings in the distance.

"There's the town. Maybe we'll find the time traveler there." he said and the four rode off. No one paid them any mind as they rode into the town of Elkhorn. They stopped in front of a saloon and decided to look for the thief in there. They walked in but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Let's stick around and see if anyone talks about this guy." Bruce suggested and the four went up to the bar. Tabitha drew her attention towards one of the tables where a few men were gambling. Tabitha knew that they were playing poker, something that she had saw Jamila's husband Albert was very fond of. The men called and Tabitha saw that one guy had four kings with an ace. The other guy looked at his hand and raised an eyebrow.

"Either you're cheatin' or we've been playing with a crooked deck…" the guy smiled and showed him his four of a kind with aces. Tabitha noticed that the second guy's aces were the right ones, with the symbols being in the upper left/lower right corners. The other guy's ace was the opposite.

"This ain't gonna be pretty…" Tabitha whispered to Diana. The accused cheater stood up from the table and aimed a gun at his opponent.

"Don't think that gun's from this time period…" Bruce noticed. The gun looked like something not even from their century, Tabitha realized. He had something to do with that time-traveling thief.

"No one calls me a cheat! You'll hang for that!" the cheater said. His men lifted the other guy up and the group left the saloon. Diana looked at the others.

"We have to help that man." Diana realized.

"That's not what we're here for. Someone's tampering with history; the stakes are much higher than the life of one card shark." Bruce said calmly.

"I don't think he's a card shark; his aces were real. Plus… he might have some information for us." Tabitha pointed out. Diana smiled at her.

"Then it's settled; we'll break him out after sundown." Diana said and John snickered.

"Never argue with a woman." he told Bruce.

The four waited until sundown to approach the jail. They learned that the cheating man was named Tobias Manning and the other gambler was "Bat" Lash. The four casually walked inside the jail and a deputy got up from his seat. Tabitha smiled at him.

"Excuse me but…" Tabitha started but gave the guy a small jolt, knocking him out. They went to the back where the two jail cells were. They spotted Bat Lash in one cell and an oddly familiar older man with him.

"It's him; the thief!" Tabitha pointed out.

"Who are you? And, where's my belt?" Bruce asked. The guy nervously smiled.

"And… what happened to you? We've only been here for half a day; you look… older."

"Do you realize what you've caused by going through the time portal with me? I've been stuck here for twenty-two years! That… idiot took my suit and has been going into the future, bringing weapons back to this time."

"That explains the gun…" Bruce commented.

"And, how that weasel took over the town. Ran the sheriff off with his high-tech weapons. Took over the town and it's been…"

"Hell in a hand basket?" Tabitha contributed for Bat. He gave her a smile.

"Couldn't have said it better, myself! Now… any of you know how to get us outta here?" he smiled at the Justice League members. Diana grabbed the handles of the cell and pulled them off with ease.

"You're with us." she told Bat.

"That's a healthy gal…" he mused.

"You don't know the half of it!" John said. Bruce went up to the thief.

"You're coming with us, too. We're getting my belt back… and throwing you back in here!"

"But…" the thief tried. Tabitha grabbed him by his shirt and charged up, making sure that he saw the electricity.

"Let's try this, again; who are you?"

"D-D-David Clinton. Professor and time traveler."

"Good. Now… try anything funny and I'll shock you!" she told him. She yanked David with her as the others attempted to leave the jail. No sooner had they left the building, Tobias and his men attacked them.

"Great…" John said.

"We'll hold them off; Tabitha, take care of Lash and David."

"No need; my posse is here!" Bat said as three other men came to help in the fight.

"We're outnumbered; head back to the ranch!" Tobias ordered his men. They got on their horses and rode away. The Justice League members and their new allies grabbed their horses and rode after them.

"Didn't catch their names but they bailed me out! This here's Jonah, El Diablo and Sheriff Smith." Bat introduced as they all rode.

While riding to the ranch, Sheriff Smith told the others how Tobias came into power. He was about to be run out of town until David showed up. Tobias and his men robbed him of his suit and used it to get weapons from the future to run Smith and his men out of town, instead.

"Be careful; there are some of the strangest things down at that ranch." Sheriff Smith warned the Justice League members. Tabitha smirked as John looked at him.

"Don't worry; we got a lot of experie…" John was about to say until they heard a screech from above. They all looked up.

"Okay; I think I've officially seen everything!" Tabitha said as she looked up at a pterodactyl flying towards them. John looked at Smith.

"I'm sorry; what were you saying?" John asked. The pterodactyl swooped down on the group and Diana grabbed it by its neck and flung it away. Once it landed, they realized that it was a robot. They got closer to the ranch and Tabitha looked in awe.

"It's like a… futuristic war fort…" she said as they looked at the giant robots that came from the ranch. More robots came to attack them and the team jumped off their horses, "I got 'em; you guys go after Tobias." Tabitha said. John went with her as the others headed towards the ranch. Tabitha and John quickly took care of the robots, with Tabitha using her lightning skills and John using the powers of his ring to clear up the mess. Diana, Bruce, Bat, El Diablo, Smith and Jonah took care of the giant robots that Tobias had his men get in to face the heroes. Once all the robots were defeated, the seven approached Tobias. He tried to use his weapon but Tabitha shocked the gun out of his hand. Smith approached him and punched him in the face.

"I guess that's a job well done. Now, to our thief…" Bruce said. Tabitha turned around and saw that David wasn't where she left him. She looked around and saw that he was running inside the ranch.

"Shit! My mistake…" Tabitha apologized and the four ran after him. Inside, Bruce found his utility belt and David found his suit. Tabitha was about to shock him but he had already activated his suit. The time portal opened and David went through. The Justice League members followed David, once again, through the portal. John formed his bubble around the four. Tabitha shook her head, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" she apologized. Bruce shook his head.

"It's okay. We saved the past; no one got hurt. You had to fight along with us."

"Still not used to that, huh?" Diana half-smiled. Tabitha sighed and shrugged.

"When all this is over, you should talk to J'onn about it."

"I told you I was fine with what I'm doing now. I took my eyes off that stupid guy…" Tabitha sighed, again. The group finally reached their destination and Bruce and Tabitha already knew where they were.

"Are we… back in the present?"

"This is Gotham City, alright. But… something's different…" Bruce told Tabitha. Before they could figure out what was different, a group of fiendish clown-like people attacked them. The group fought back but was quickly overwhelmed.

"The Jokerz…" Bruce mumbled, "They're not supposed to be this good." he confirmed. Tabitha tried to send lightning to the two females of the group, the DeeDee twins, but as soon as they were hit, they split into another set of two and threw their whips at her, sending a jolt through Tabitha's body. She yelled out in pain.

"Look, DeeDee; she has lightning powers like that Martian man!"

"I see. She's no fun; let's go play with the cute Green Lantern!" they said.

"… ouch! Is that how it feels when I shock someone? Martian man; who are they talking about?" she wondered aloud. Tabitha wearily looked up and saw a black figure come out of the sky. She focused on the figure, along with the other three that appeared, "… Batman? Someone's taken your style… and made it better!" she smirked as the all-black costumed Batman helped her up. His bat symbol was red instead of yellow. The others that were with him came into view: a man with silver wings just like Shayera, an older Virgil and a Martian. Tabitha looked at him, "… J'onn?" she asked. He stared at her for a second and his eyes lit up, just as the hawk man did at John.

"… Mom?"

"Mom?"

"Dad?" the hawk man looked at John. John stood back in amusement. Tabitha shot a look at John.

"Dad?"

"Save the family reunion for later; we have work to do!" the older Static said and the new additions focused their attention on the villains. While Bruce, Diana and John helped them, Tabitha could only stare in disbelief as her "son" immediately threw lightning at the bad guys.

"He has… my powers?" she asked no one in particular. Tabitha snapped herself out of her trance and went to help the others.

"They've gotten advancements; let's retreat for now." the all black Batman said. John formed a huge maze with his ring to distract the villains as they made their escape. Then, another group attacked them.

"Perfect; the Linz Gang…" Static sighed.

"Linz? Wait…" Tabitha stepped out in front of them. She studied the three. They were all dressed in black but their faces weren't covered. It was them, alright, Tabitha half-smiled. Solonia looked at Tabitha.

"… Miss Tabitha?" she mused. She was no longer the five-year-old Tabitha had known but a curvy woman. Tabitha couldn't tell A.C. from Jamil now; they were mirror images of each other.

"It is her but… younger."

"Miss Tabitha!" Tabitha knew that it was Jamil as he came up to her and hugged her. The other two followed and Tabitha reluctantly hugged them back.

"Trips… what the hell is going on?"

"Let's just take them prisoner and get out of here!" the new Batman said. Tabitha looked at the three.

"He's right. We're being chased. Come on, guys." Tabitha said and the group ran away.

They stopped at an old abandoned high school where Static put handcuffs on the triplets. Tabitha was shocked to see an old man come out of hiding and she studied him.

"Holy… Bruce?" she looked. He could only stare at her.

"Tabitha…" he almost smiled. He looked at his younger self and approached him. The younger Bruce just looked at him in awe, "Surprised to see me?"

"A little. I'm more surprised I lived so long!" the younger Bruce smirked. John approached the hawk man.

"You called me 'dad'… who are you?"

"They call me War Hawk. My real name's Rex Stewart."

"Who's your mother?"

"Really, John? You **really **don't have a clue?" Tabitha asked.

"I think it's safe to say that the less we know about the future… the better!" the younger Bruce said to John.

"Shayera? That was one cranky pregnant lady! Although to be fair, if I laid an egg that big…" Static mentioned.

"He's kidding, dad!" Rex interrupted, "What are you doing here?"

"We followed a time-traveling thief here; David Clinton." younger Bruce explained.

"Oh; you mean 'Lord Chronos'." Static informed them. He went to a computer screen, "He's the reason everything is all jacked up around here. His time traveling is messing up the time space continuum. He's taken over the entire city and actually has his own wife captive." he continued to explain. Tabitha stared at him.

"So, we're in the future."

"Fifty years to be exact." the older Bruce announced. Tabitha stared at Static in shock.

"You're looking damn good for a sixty year old!" she said. Static laughed a little.

"The miracle of modern medicine; sixty-five is the new thirty." he said. He turned away from the screen, "This is all that's left of the Justice League. Meet War Hawk; Terry, the new Batman and T'ony, AKA Martian Lyght. After Lord Chronos took over, he launched a full-scale attack on the remaining members. And these three didn't help much, either." he said, pointing at the Lindsey triplets. Tabitha stared at them.

"You three had a hand in this? But… why? You three don't even have any powers!"

"Technology has changed a lot. With enough money, you can buy super powers, now." Solonia explained. Tabitha went up to the three.

"Where's your mom and dad? Do they know what you've been doing?" Tabitha asked. A.C. shot an evil look at the remaining Justice League members.

"**They **killed them! And, no one did anything to stop it!" he said. Tabitha swung around and looked at the others.

"No… it's not true. Tell me that you didn't…" she had tears in her eyes. T'ony approached her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"We've been trying to talk sense into them for years. My father told me what happened; the Justice League didn't kill their parents."

"You all had a hand in it! Even that damn uncle of ours…" Jamil almost raged. Tabitha looked at them.

"Is he… still alive?"

"Unfortunately…" Solonia huffed.

"Take me to him."

"Tabitha, we don't have time for…"

"You guys do what you have to do; this is important." she told John. She freed the triplets, "Take me to see Ramil."

"I'm going with you." T'ony announced. Tabitha looked up at him. He was the spitting image of J'onn but he had her brown eyes.

"Okay. I have a lot of questions for you, too. I'll be back as soon as I can." she looked at the younger Bruce, Diana and John. She looked back at her son, "You can do Lightning Cloud, right?"

"Of course." he said. He grabbed A.C. and Jamil while Tabitha grabbed Solonia and they did a Lightning Cloud into the city. They landed in the old Financial District, which almost lay in ruins. Tabitha shook her head.

"Don't let the looks fool you; it's the safest place in the whole city, now." A.C. explained. They walked along the street. Tabitha looked at T'ony.

"Did I name you?"

"Yes. I was told I was named after an old friend of yours."

"You look so much like J'onn… and I bet you can do everything that he can."

"Yes. I was immediately recruited into Justice League right after he retired. I was… twelve."

"Is he… are we both still alive?"

"Yes but… you're in a coma. For the past five years. My father made the decision to move back to Mars with you. He mentioned something about a cure." he slightly held his head down. Tabitha didn't know what to say or think. She suddenly looked up at him and slightly smiled.

"Seeing that I'm still your mother, whether I'm from the past or not, don't you dare go through my mind!" she warned him. T'ony laughed.

"I won't! It felt good hearing that, again…" he smiled. Tabitha smiled back. The five stopped in front of a familiar building.

"Hey… this is… my old apartment… Ramil and Ashley took over my old apartment?"

"We don't know; we guess. We haven't seen them since… since momma and daddy died…" Jamil trailed off. Tabitha took a deep breath as they went inside. Sure enough, they stopped in front of her old apartment. T'ony knocked on the door. A much older Ramil, now with a head and face full of grey, opened the door. His eyes immediately glistened as they fell on the triplets but he stared wide-eyed at Tabitha.

"Tabitha? Is that really you?"

"Ramil…" she smiled. He hugged her.

"And, you brought the triplets with you. Why are you so… young?"

"Long story!"

"Come in, come in! Ashley; we have company!" Ramil called behind him. Ashley came from the kitchen, her long dark hair now fully grey. She covered her mouth.

"Tabitha? Triplets? Oh…" she couldn't contain herself. She rushed over and hugged the four. She then looked up at T'ony, "I haven't seen you since you were little! You look just like your father, doesn't he, Ramil?"

"A damn spitting image…" he smiled. His attention went to the triplets, who didn't want to look at him, "It's really nice to see you guys…" he tried but Solonia huffed. Tabitha shot them a warning glare but looked back at Ramil and Ashley.

"Back to that long story; I was pretty much warped from the past to now. We were chasing Lord Chronos…"

"Ah; figured it had something to do with him." Ashley sat down. Her wrinkled hands carefully made the tea from a canister pour into her cup.

"I want to know what happened to doc and Albert." Tabitha sat down, "They're saying that Justice League killed them. Tell me that wasn't true."

"The triplets were about eleven. You and J'onn had retired from Justice League and me and Ashley had been in for about five years. A civil war broke out…"

"Civil? As in…"

"Between the Justice League. It damn near divided the whole nation. J'onn came out of retirement to try to settle things. But, it had gotten out of hand. The Justice League started fighting each other… out in the streets. Me and Ashley had sided with Batman and J'onn. Ares, the god of war, decided to take advantage of us fighting and unleashed his robot of war against us."

"The Annihilator. I had heard about that thing before. It's locked up in Watchtower now." Tabitha said.

"Well, Ares actually tricked one of the members in releasing it. It started attacking everything that moved."

"That thing's fueled from rage and war…" Tabitha looked at Ashley.

"A lot of us didn't know that. But, Wonder Woman, J'onn, Hawk and Dove did. They tried to calm everyone down. Ramil and I were pulled from the battle by J'onn and were told to get the civilians out of harm's way. Mila and Albert were there but they got separated because of all the chaos. By the time I found Albert… he had been… trampled to death. It was no one's fault, really. But, Jamila found him like that, too. She thought the Annihilator did it. Ramil tried to stop her but she had grabbed whatever she could and started throwing it at the thing."

"No…" Tabitha's tears fell.

"Why didn't you two do anything?" Solonia stood up.

"Why didn't I…" Tabitha managed. T'ony comforted his mother.

"J'onn didn't want you involved. You were pregnant, again and you stayed on Mars." Ramil explained.

"… Again? I have another child?" Tabitha looked at T'ony.

"My sister, K'hym. She was in Justice League when she had gotten old enough but I made her quit when Lord Chronos started on his vendetta." T'ony explained.

"And… we couldn't do anything. It happened so fast. If we had retaliated, it would have only fueled the Annihilator even more. The only thing we could do was get their bodies out of there."

"We had always been told that the Annihilator was unleashed by a Justice League member on purpose. That everyone just sat there and watched it destroy everyone in its path. We were never told that it was powered by rage and war…" A.C. held his head down.

"And, you were probably told that we didn't do anything to stop it from killing your mom and dad. But, it wasn't true. We simply… couldn't. Even if we had tried to distract it, it still was going after the closest thing in its path. Mila was the closest thing…" Ramil finished explaining. Tabitha wiped her eyes.

"I knew that Justice League didn't have anything to do with it. Thanks, guys. So… you three understand, now?" Tabitha looked at the triplets. Solonia wiped her eyes as well and looked at her uncle.

"I'm so sorry. We had always thought that you guys had something to do with it." she apologized. T'ony looked at Tabitha.

"We have to go. The… Bruces found something out. I'm sorry to cut this short."

"If you don't mind… we'd like to stay for a while." Jamil said. Tabitha smiled along with Ramil and Ashley.

"That's fine by me. I can start cooking, now." Ashley said. Tabitha hugged everyone as the two left. She still couldn't get over the fact that she had children and stared at T'ony.

"You have my powers. How is that possible?" she decided to ask. T'ony smiled a little.

"I was born with them." he left it at that. As the two continued to walk, Tabitha noticed that a white wave of energy was in the distance. She also noticed that there were buildings that had no business doing in Gotham City… the Eiffel Tower being one of them!

"T'ony… are you seeing all this?"

"Yes. Mr. Wayne; have you seen the energy wave approaching the city?" T'ony asked through his communicator.

"Yes. This is why we need you two back."

The older Bruce looked at the younger Bruce.

"Has Tabitha already started dating J'onn?" he asked, lowly. Younger Bruce nodded. The older Bruce shook his head, "You should've told her how you felt a long time ago."

"I take it we still have feelings for her." younger Bruce said. Tabitha and T'ony appeared and older Bruce slightly smiled.

"Some things are harder to let go than others. Letting go of Batman or Tabitha? I'd choose Batman every time." he looked at Tabitha. Static approached the two.

"We found something out. Lord Chronos is really making everything unstable. Anything can happen at any given moment. We've got to stop him from going back and forth through time."

"How do we do that if his goons won't let us get close to him? It was seven against six… eight, and we still got whooped!" Tabitha remembered that the DeeDee twins actually spilt into another pair.

"While you two were away, I created a program that can be inserted into his time travel device. It should calm everything down but we have to install it before it's too late." the younger Bruce stated, showing them a small disc.

"His wife should know where to find him." Static said.

"What makes you think that she'll talk?" John asked.

"You said she's being held prisoner?" Tabitha asked Static. He nodded, "Well, that means she ain't very happy! If we tell her what we're up to, she'll tell us family secrets! Problem is; who knows besides Chronos where she's being held prisoner at?"

"The Jokerz would. They're Lord Chronos' goons." War Hawk said. Tabitha slowly nodded.

"Okay; that's one problem solved! Next one: how to get them to talk?" Diana asked.

"We'll have to separate them; get the weakest one to talk." the younger Bruce said.

"'Get the weakest one to talk'? Is he serious?" Terry asked. The younger Bruce shrugged and looked at him.

"Sometimes the old ways are best."

"It's not gonna work, whatever you're thinking about. You don't know your way around here. Things have changed."

"Are criminals still superstitious and cowardly?" the younger Bruce asked. The older Bruce smirked.

"Yup."

"Good enough for me."

"So, what's the plan? How do we find out which one is the weakest link?" Tabitha asked.

"We'll need… your son's help for that one. You have all the powers that your father has?" the younger Bruce asked T'ony. He nodded. Tabitha looked at the two and widened her eyes.

"Bruce… no. I don't want him involved in this."

"Tabitha…"

"Mom; I can take care of myself!" T'ony argued. John put his hand on Tabitha's shoulder.

"You **do** realize that he's J'onn's son, too… right?" he smirked. Tabitha smiled a little.

"Sorry. Everything is so… overwhelming right now!"

"You need for me to pose like one of the thugs around here. I can do that."

"We need to get the Jokerz separated. Get some false information out on the street about our whereabouts."

"I get it. If they think that we've separated, they'll go after us individually. So, we'll just be waiting on one of them at a certain spot."

"What if it's not the weakest one in the group?" Terry asked Tabitha.

"It doesn't matter; it'll be one against the rest of us; they'll try to talk their way out of it!" Diana said.

"Okay. Let's get this plan rolling. The timeline is degrading rapidly; there's no telling how much time we actually have left." Static said. T'ony was about to leave until Tabitha grabbed him by his arms. She simply studied his face and slightly smiled.

"Mom! I'll be fine! Stop worrying so much!" he huffed. Tabitha reluctantly let go and T'ony turned to leave. Suddenly, he turned back around, gave her a huge hug and left. Tabitha turned to look at the others.

"You know that you have a lot of explaining to do when this is all over!" Diana smiled at her.

"I'm just as shocked as you are, if not more! There's nothing to explain!"

"I'll bet!" Diana winked. Before Tabitha could retaliate, Diana disappeared into thin air.

"Whoa! What the hell? Diana!"

"It's a time shift. Looks like we need to hurry; the timeline's starting to act up." the younger Bruce mentioned and the group left.

The small group found themselves on top of an abandoned building, waiting on one of the members of the Jokerz to appear. Tabitha saw that John was slightly eyeing War Hawk and she cleared her throat. He looked at her.

"What?"

"John… we have kids…"

"… I know…"

"Company!" the younger Bruce told the others and they jumped out of their hiding spots. Once they did, they noticed that there was actually two from the Jokerz group; Ghoul and Bonk.

"We hit the jackpot, Bonk!" Ghoul smiled.

"Guess the plan didn't work…" Terry shot a look at the younger Bruce. Bonk started towards them.

"Actually… it did…" he said and transformed into T'ony. He quickly threw a stream of lightning towards Ghoul, hindering him. The younger Bruce approached him, grabbed him by his leg and dangled him away from the ledge.

"If you don't tell us what we need to know, I'll drop you…" the younger Bruce threatened. The older Bruce shook his head and approached the two.

"I can't believe I was ever that green. Step aside; **this **is how you interrogate someone!" he said, throwing Ghoul away from the ledge. He approached him with his cane.

"Okay, okay! What do you want to know?"

"Everything about Lord Chronos."

"He can travel through time, backwards and forwards! He brings stuff back with him; that's how he gained control of the city and beat the majority of the Justice League! He says that he's always a wanted man so he time travels a lot; he hardly stays here in this time period. And, that's everything I really know!"

"Everything?" the younger Bruce asked.

"… I wet the bed until I was fourteen?"

"Losing my patience…" the older Bruce said, raising his cane.

"You know, I can't keep my friend held back much longer if you don't start giving us some useful information…" the younger Bruce threatened.

"Huh! Batman playing 'good cop'?"

"Tell me about it!" Tabitha said to Static.

"Wait, wait, wait! Um… I know where he's gotten his wife prisoner at!"

"Now we're talking! Where?" Tabitha asked.

"She's in the pyramid; you can't miss it!"

The group arrived at an Egyptian pyramid and walk inside. They were immediately greeted by robotic guards. Tabitha cracked her fingers.

"I got this…" she said and immediately shocked them, sending one crashing through a door. The members went through the door and saw a woman dressed as an Egyptian goddess, lying in the bed, watching television and eating snacks. Immediately, John transformed into a Caucasian man. The group looked at him.

"Um…" Tabitha slightly held her hand up. John looked at the group.

"What?"

"… John?" Static asked.

"Hal Jordan. Another time shift. I'm up to speed. Carry on."

"Okay… I'm starting to get a migraine!" Terry mentioned. The younger Bruce looked at the rest of the group.

"Because of these time shifts, any one of us could cease to exist or transform into someone else."

"Wait. You're telling me that when Diana disappeared… she was erased from history? Period?" Tabitha asked. The younger Bruce nodded, "Guess we need to hurry up!" she said. The woman in the bed looked at the group.

"Coming to check up on me, again?"

"Are you Lord Chronos' wife, Enid?" Static asked. She slowly nodded.

"We need to know where we can find him." Hal said to her. She huffed.

"I'll tell you exactly where you can find him! And, don't believe those rumors about him traveling from place to place! He sleeps in the same place every night. I could show you."

"Come with us, then." Static said.

"Hold on a minute; how do we know this isn't a trap?" Tabitha eyed Enid. She laughed a little.

"I could care less about that creep! All I want is to go back home… without him!" she said and followed Hal out of the room.

The group was led to a roman coliseum where inside was the Elkhorn jail. Hal scanned the building and immediately turned back into John.

"No traps detected. But… why would he sleep in a jail cell?"

"The one that he was kept in for twenty years at that?" Tabitha asked. Enid huffed.

"A loser with a kingdom is still a loser!" she said and walked inside. No sooner had she attempted to wake David, he immediately opened up a portal and the Jokerz appeared. Tabitha threw her arms up.

"Why can't things be simple with you?"

"I'm a villain; when have you known things to be simple with a villain? And, you, Enid; how could you betray me? Everything I've done, I've done for you!"

"Don't blame this on me! I just wanted you to assert yourself, not destroy the universe!"

"We don't have time for this! We need to get to him before everything is destroyed!" the younger Bruce said.

"Okay; we'll handle the Jokerz, then!" Tabitha told him. Bruce grabbed her hand.

"Tabitha… be careful…"

"No worries; just install that disc! Come on, T'ony; let's get those twins!"

"Actually… I got 'em. You take care of the others." Terry said and immediately approached the twins. Tabitha and T'ony went after Bonk while Static and Rex went after Ghoul and Woof. The battles spread to outside the jail cell.

"Tabitha, T'ony; if we combine our powers, we can wipe them out!" Static called over. Before the two could do so, a time rift opened up and took Static.

"Virgil!"

"This is bad. Time is degrading faster, now. Don't lose focus, mom!"

"I won't… son…" Tabitha smiled and the two continued their assault on Bonk and Ghoul. The two did a double Lightning Cloud behind the backs of Bonk and Ghoul and both charged up with all their might, sending the two across to the other side of the coliseum. The two were about to help Terry when they saw another time rift open, a wooly mammoth and French revolutionary war soldiers appear. The soldiers look confusedly at their surroundings but aim their weapons at Terry.

"Fire at will!" one yelled and they fired their weapons. Terry moved out of the way just in time and continued battling the DeeDee twins. However, the DeeDee twins backed Terry into a corner, split into four and hit him with their four whips, electrocuting him to death.

"No…" T'ony half whispered. He knew that his mother and he were able to take the jolts however Terry was human; he had no chance of surviving.

"Those… bitches! Let's show 'em how it really feels!" Tabitha glared at them and made her way over. Before she could attack them, the wooly mammoth charged towards them. T'ony grabbed his mother and did a Lightning Cloud out of the way but the wooly mammoth continued its stampede towards Rex. John used his ring to save his son, carrying the mammoth away from the battles. John looked up and saw that the white wave of energy that was seen at the outskirts of the city were now enclosing on the coliseum. He looked towards David.

"Can't you see what you've done by time traveling? This isn't a normal battle!"

"Look up and see what's happening! Time is unraveling! If you don't stop, there will be nothing for you to take over!" the younger Bruce yelled at him. David looked up and saw the white wave steadily enclosing on them. He sighed.

"You're right. I'm the only one who has the power to stop this; to fix this."

"Right!" Tabitha had joined John and Bruce.

"That means… it's up to me. If I can… go back to the beginning of time… I can undo it all… and become a god!"  
"Wait… what? You loony toon; that's **not **what we meant!" Tabitha yelled at him. David went to his wife, kissed her goodbye and opened up a portal. John and Bruce prepared to go in with him as Tabitha grabbed T'ony's hand. But, he stayed put. Tabitha looked back at him, "T'ony; what are you doing? Let's go!"

"No. I can't. This is my time. I can't go back with you."

"But…"

"Mom… it'll be okay. If you stop him… I'll be around. I love you, mom. Now, go!" he said and pushed her inside the portal with Bruce and John. As John enclosed the bubble around them, Tabitha looked back and watched as the portal closed. Bruce put his hand on her shoulder.

"He's right. Once we stop him, everything will get back to normal for them." he comforted her. She sighed and turned around. David was right in front of them and soon, they saw a hand at the end of the tunnel.

"What the hell is that?"

"The Dawn of Time. The Green Lanterns have a legend: no one can see the beginning of time. It's a universal law." John explained.

"Hmph; write Chronos a ticket! If he reaches it, rest assured he will change everything ever known to man."

"That would definitely make him a god! We gotta catch him!" Tabitha said.

"Almost there…" John saw that they were within arm's length of David. With all his might, he reached out for him and pulled him inside the bubble. Bruce inserted the disc into his time travel device and it immediately uploaded.

"No! What are you doing? I'm the only one who can fix this!"

"Sorry, pal…" Tabitha said as David disappeared, "Um, guys… we're still heading towards the Dawn of Time…"

"I know! I'm trying to… slow it down…" John managed. With all of his might, John tried to slow down the bubble as they drew closer and closer to the hand. As they approached it, darkness began to develop around them. Next thing they knew, Tabitha, John and Bruce were sitting at the cafeteria table. The three looked around and saw that everything was just as it was before they left. John looked at the two.

"Does… everyone remember a time travelling mission?" John asked. Tabitha and Bruce looked at him and slowly nodded.

"It's like we never left…" she whispered. Diana walked up towards the table and smiled at the three. She noticed the scar on John's head and examined it.

"That's a nasty scar, John. What happened?" she asked. The three looked at her in amusement.

"Diana… you don't remember going on a mission?" Bruce asked.

"The intruder alarm, the time travelling noob, the old west…" Tabitha tried to remind her. Diana shook her head.

"What are you talking about? We've all been here all day. Are you three okay?" she asked. Tabitha just shook her head.

"I guess so…" she said. Diana shrugged.

"I'll leave you three alone to talk about this make believe mission!" she smiled and left. John leaned in towards the other two.

"You know, it's probably best that we don't mention this to anyone, then."

"Right."

"But, what if the guy comes back?" Tabitha asked. Bruce smiled.

"I don't think we have to worry about that. That program I downloaded should've stuck him in a loop in his time period! But… there are other things that we have to worry about… at least; the two of you do…"

"I didn't know that you and J'onn were…"

"We're not. That's what's freaking me out about it all!" Tabitha lied to John. Bruce hid his smirk. What was really upsetting Tabitha was that her son was born with her powers. According to that future, it was proven that she never was cured. Either that or… that mutant strand had already fused with her DNA, "Anyway; I think you have the bigger problem. You think you should say something to her?" she asked. John looked as Shayera took her tray and walked out.

"I don't think it would change anything…" he realized. Tabitha sat back and tried to finish her food. She thought the same thing. However, couldn't the future be changed? In her case, it only meant that J'onn was really the one for her. It also meant that she was stuck with her powers. Tabitha's mind rambled about the secret mission they just experienced and wondered where her daughter, K'hym was during everything. Was she on Mars with her? She wished that she was able to meet her daughter and wondered if her daughter had the same powers as well. Then, Tabitha realized that there was one person she definitely needed to talk to.

Bruce and Tabitha went to Memphis to talk to Jamila and her family. Jamila was surprised when she opened the door.

"Tabs! Mr. Wayne! Come in! This is a definite… surprise; what's with the looks?" Jamila immediately noticed after she closed the door. She hugged the two, anyway.

"Doc… has that mutant DNA already fused with me?" Tabitha decided that the best way was to simply ask her. Jamila raised her eyebrows at Bruce.

"You told her? I thought I asked you two to let me tell her…" she was about to scold until she saw that Tabitha shot a look at Bruce.

"You… already knew…" she tried to control her anger. Bruce sighed.

"Dr. Lindsey was supposed to tell you. None of us predicted that we would be warped to the future before she could." he tried to explain. Tabitha looked down at the tiled hallway floor.

"You said two; who else… J'onn. J'onn knew, already. That's so fucked up for the three of you to keep that from me!"

"Tabs, how could I tell you that? I didn't have the heart to!"

"So, the plan was to just say, 'fuck it' and let me keep on hoping for a cure?"

"We didn't find out that the process was sped up until it was too late." Jamila continued to try to explain. Tabitha went into the kitchen and slumped down in a chair. Jamila tried to put a tender hand on her shoulder but Tabitha swiped it away. She breathed heavily to keep from crying and losing her temper even more.

"When? When did it take over? Was it… in New York. That's why Castillo couldn't cure me, isn't it?" she asked. Jamila backed away from her, fighting tears.

"I'm sorry, Tabitha. When you went up to Watchtower, J'onn talked to me. Dr. Castillo gave me your DNA results and I shared them with him. That's when I found out. We knew that you had at least two years before it happened. You… wasn't supposed to use your powers, I guess. Oh, Tabs; I'm so sorry!" Jamila explained and her tears were forced out. Tabitha ran her hands through her hair and let out a huge sigh.

"It just… pisses me off that you kept it from me! I'm not some teenager who flies off the handle at every bad thing! I would've been upset but… at least I would've known."

"I… was gonna tell you…" Jamila wiped at her tears. Tabitha got up and immediately hugged Jamila.

"Oh, hell; don't cry! You know what happens when you cry!" Tabitha tried to smile. Jamila laughed a little. The front door opening drew their attention and rapid footsteps were heard throughout the hallway.

"Mommy, mommy; we're home!" Solonia yelled. Jamil ran into the kitchen and his smile got wider.

"Miss Tabitha!" he yelled and immediately hugged her. Like clockwork, Solonia and A.C. ran into the kitchen and followed suit. Tabitha hugged the three and thought about the trip into the future.

"Hey, guys! How's school?"

"We got all A's! Even A.C.!" Solonia beamed. Tabitha laughed.

"That's great! Hey, can I talk to your mom for a minute? I'll be right upstairs after that, okay?"

"Alright!" A.C. agreed and the three bolted out the kitchen. Tabitha looked at Jamila and hugged her again.

"Doc, promise me one thing: if a civil war ever breaks out between the Justice League… promise to stay in the house. Promise that you and Albert stay with the kids."

"W… what? Tabs, I don't understand…"

"Just, promise me! Please…" Tabitha begged. Confused, Jamila hugged her back.

"Alright… I promise…"


	17. A Helping Hand

Chapter Seventeen: A Helping Hand

"J'onn, I'm getting some sort of transmission from Earth…" Tabitha looked at the monitors. J'onn had to admit that he was proud that Tabitha was taking more control over the monitors of Watchtower and seriously debated over the last few months of letting her replace him. He felt that it would be much better to have her staying permanently on Watchtower than going on missions, especially after a confusing moment when he could not make contact with either her, Bruce, Diana or John. They were nonresponsive for almost an hour and none in the party would tell him exactly where they were. J'onn attempted to go through their minds but got no answers, except Tabitha's concern for the Lindsey family. Whatever happened, the four wanted to keep amongst themselves and J'onn told himself that he wouldn't worry over it any longer.

J'onn looked at the transmission, himself and slightly smiled.

"I'm sorry, Tabitha; I forgot to tell you that I gave Dr. Lindsey a communicator to get in contact with me. She's just as a reliable asset as any of the Justice League members, now."

"So, she's a human you can trust, is what you're telling me?"

"If you trust her, it's good enough for me. Dr. Lindsey, it's good to hear from you. Everything okay?"

"J'onn! Do I go around calling you 'Mr. Manhunter'?" Jamila laughed, "Everything's fine! I wanted to request entry onto Watchtower; I have a special visitor for Tabitha, if it's alright with you."

"A friend of Tabitha's is a friend of mine. I have your coordinates; prepare for transport." J'onn informed and ended the transmission. Tabitha looked on as he put in Jamila's coordinates into the monitor. He glanced at her, "Anything you would like to share with me?" he asked and Tabitha shrugged.

"I have no idea who'd want to visit me besides doc. Oh; maybe it's Doc Castillo! Or…" Tabitha was about to respond until two images appeared from the transporter. She immediately smiled and approached the two, "P! Buddy!" she reacted and immediately hugged him. Peter laughed and hugged her back. J'onn approached the three. Tabitha looked at him with excitement in her eyes, "J'onn, this is Peter." she introduced. The two shook hands as Tabitha hugged Jamila.

"Peter Parker. So, you're the Spider-Man Tabitha's talked so much about."

"And, that makes you J'onn J'onzz, right? You're the one holding Tabby Cat hostage from me…" Peter smiled. J'onn gave him a slight smile.

"I'll leave you three to catch up. Take them around Watchtower if you like… Tabby Cat." he responded and left, leaving Tabitha to turn red from embarrassment. She led her two friends down a hallway.

"You know, it's great to see you, P. But… what are you doing here?"

"Well, after you did a disappearing act from the hospital, I've looked for you. I was a bit worried about you, especially when Dr. Castillo told me that the formula didn't work on you."

"He wasn't supposed to tell you…"

"I know; that's what he told me, too. But, he was worried about you, too, Tabby Cat. Well, with all that was going on in New York, I didn't have time to go on my manhunt until now. I caught up with Dr. Lindsey…"

"And, he twisted my arm so that I had to tell him where you were!" Jamila joked. Tabitha laughed a little and then looked at Peter.

"The story don't end there, right? Cuz, if all you wanted to do was see me, it would've been easier for me to just come down to Earth. Something's up…" Tabitha caught on. Peter sighed a little and smiled.

"You know me too well! I have an associate of mine who needs a little help with a project of his. When he mentioned it to me, I immediately thought of you. I promised him that if I could find you, you'd do a little work for him."

"Wait a minute; so, we haven't seen each other in a couple of years and you volunteer me for some charity work? Wow, what a friend…"

"Hold on! It's nothing like that! Okay… the man's name is Tony Stark and…"

"Whoa; Tony Stark? **The **Tony Stark?"

"Who's Tony Stark?" Tabitha asked Jamila. She widened her eyes at Tabitha.

"Wow; you really need to spend more time on Earth! Let's put it this way; whatever Bruce Wayne doesn't own, Tony Stark does! He owns Stark Industries, for one; and he's into top-notch technology. He supplies the military with almost all the weapons out there and then he makes them bigger and better! Oh, yeah; and, then he's Iron Man!" Jamila ranted. Peter nodded in agreement.

"Another superhero? Okay; so, he has access to all this technology. What in the hell would he want my help for?"

"He's a very busy man, being Iron Man and Tony Stark. He needs some upgrades to his suits." Peter tried to explain. Jamila looked at Tabitha.

"He uses a suit when he's Iron Man. I heard that he has a lot of prototypes for it, too…"

"You know a LOT about Tony Stark…" Tabitha looked at Jamila. She shrugged.

"He's a top engineer; I make it my duty to know about him! Plus, he's quite handsome…"

"How did I know?" Tabitha shook her head and laughed, "Upgrades, huh? To all of 'em?"

"I think so." Peter said. Tabitha leaned on the wall and thought about it.

"I might need some help, then…" she said and looked dead at Jamila.

"Who, me? Oh; I know nothing about…"

"Not you; your brother and his wife! Talk to Mr. Stark about letting me have my own little team of helpers and I'll talk to J'onn about it."

Ramil, Ashley and Tabitha appeared in front of the massive estate that was home to Tony Stark. Tabitha rang the doorbell and was immediately greeted by a tall, leggy woman with dark hair pinned to the back. She was dressed business-like, wearing a white and black pin stripe blouse and a black skirt. She gave the three an uneasy smile.

"You must be the crew Mr. Stark talked about."

"And, you're Miss Pepper Potts. Thanks for letting us in your home…"

"Oh; this is Mr. Stark's home. Come in. He's expecting you three." she stated. The three followed Pepper through the main living room area and to an elevator. Tabitha raised her eyebrows.

"Wow. An elevator…"

"Mr. Stark only likes the best…" Pepper sighed out. Tabitha smirked.

"Quite modest of you!"

"Excuse me?"

"He likes the best, which means you think very highly of yourself! It's okay; a lot of us should be more like you."

"Oh… I'm not Mr. Stark's girlfriend. I'm the CEO of his company." Pepper corrected. She turned and looked at Tabitha, "I have to warn you that Mr. Stark thinks of himself as a ladies' man. He's a smooth talker…"

"In other words, he'll try to talk the pants off of me! No worries; I'm already spoken for! If…" Tabitha had to think; whereas Peter may have told Tony Stark his secret identity, she was unsure if he would've shared it with his CEO, "Spider-Man's told him anything about me, I'm sure that it was the first thing he mentioned!" she assured Pepper. As the doors finally opened, Pepper smirked a little.

"Don't say I didn't warn you…" she said. The three were led to a room surrounded by a glass shield and Tabitha was amazed at the numerous parts left lying around on the tables. Pepper put in a security code in the panel and the doors slid open; the faint smell of burnt metal filled the air. Around the corner, there was a lab room. In the middle of the lab sat Tony Stark, with short, black hair and the start of a five-o'clock shadow. Working in a white tank top, Tabitha immediately saw why Jamila felt that he was quite handsome. He turned around and took his goggles off, his attention immediately going to Tabitha.

"I see I have company." he almost smiled. Tabitha approached him and stuck her hand out.

"Tabitha Lyght. I heard you need some assistance with your suits. I hope you don't mind; I brought along my crew."

"That accent; southern?"

"Born and raised! This is Ramil and Ashley." Tabitha continued; she saw that he was simply staring at her, not even bothering to shake her hand. He finally did as well as Ramil's and Ashley's.

"Thank you for bringing them down here, Pepper. I guess we can get started." Tony said and got up from his seat. Pepper nodded and left the four alone. Tabitha placed her book bag on the floor and looked around the area. Around the walls were prototypes of iron suits; she noticed that a lot of them were red and gold, "Peter's talked a lot about you. Now that I see you in person, I don't blame him! Said that you were his crime-fighting partner for a while. You sure it wasn't more than that?" Tony fished. Tabitha laughed a little.

"Me and P are good friends; that's all. His heart is MJ."

"I heard that your heart belongs to an alien? The two of you had sex?" the question threw Tabitha off. She widened her eyes at him.

"What?"

"I mean, you would think that it would be impossible if not incompatible. I'm just intrigued about the whole thing. Is he… 'built' like a human man or is the sex like a mind thing?"

"Mr. Stark…"

"Just call me Tony."

"… I can't do that. It's none of your business whether…"

"Why can't you? We're going to be working together, right? Is it a southern thing; you know, hospitality or something like that?"

"It's something that I don't want to get into right now. And that also includes my sex life. He's a Martian, not an alien; there's a difference."

"How about a drink? To loosen you up?"

"No, thank you; we have work to do. Mr. Stark, if you're not gonna take this seriously, then we can leave." Tabitha eyed him. Tony directed the three towards the back of the workshop.

"Bottom line; I need these suits upgraded… all of them. Pete said that you have a way to make things indestructible. Is that including metal?"

"Yeah. You ever heard of Wonder Woman?"

"Amazon goddess; tall, leggy, sexy…"

"Okay; you've heard of her! Those bracelets she wears… they don't get scratched, anymore."

"Really?" Ashley looked at Tabitha. She looked behind her and slightly smiled.

"Yeah. She thought it was impossible, too."

"If you can work with metal… what do you need us for?" Ramil asked. Tabitha smiled a little bit.

"To make things go by quicker! You said all of these suits?" Tabitha looked around; there had to be at least twenty without her counting them outright. Tony nodded a little.

"Then, I have a couple of prototypes. You making them indestructible; they won't be called prototypes anymore!"

"Yeah; I definitely needed your help! So… let's get this started!"

Tabitha, Ashley and Ramil helped Tony Stark improve his Iron Man suits throughout the day. Tabitha was glad that she brought along Ramil and Ashley; it took about thirty minutes to upgrade just one suit! The technique they adapted was that Ramil bended fire to the suit, Ashley cooled it down and then Tabitha worked her magic.

After the tenth suit was complete, Tony decided to test one of them out.

"There was always a problem with ice short circuiting the whole suit; I hope you remedied that…" he said. Tabitha wondered what was glowing in the middle of his chest and realized when he suited up, that whatever it was, powered up his suit. Tony put his helmet on and motioned for the three, "Give me everything you got." he challenged. Tabitha looked at Ashley and Ramil with a shrug.

"You wanna do a training session or are you gonna just take whatever we throw at you?"

"First, let's see how the suit holds up and then… I've never had a training session with anyone, before… sounds like fun!" Tony agreed. Without hesitation, Ramil threw a whirlwind of fire towards Tony; Tony didn't flinch. Ashley took the water from one of the large pails and threw it at Tony as hard as she could. Tabitha thought that it would have short-circuited the suit but Tony put thumbs up. She immediately threw her lightning at him, hoping that the combination of water and lightning wouldn't kill him! The blast only pushed him a foot away but it seemed as if he was okay. Tony waited a few moments to take his helmet off. He looked towards Tabitha.

"That was… amazing! I mean, I felt the heat but my system didn't do anything. Nothing from the water and that power threw me off guard but… nothing went off. Now, for the final test; seeing that you can work with water, I know that you can form ice. Freeze me…" Tony looked at Ashley. He put his helmet back on and waited. Ashley looked at Tabitha for approval.

"You said there was a problem with ice. What usually happens?"

"Oh; the whole suit shuts down. It's safe; I'm on the ground right now." Tony reassured. Tabitha nodded towards Ashley. She threw water on Tony and made it immediately freeze up. The three waited to see some type of reaction from Tony. Seconds later, he broke free from the ice.

"Wow…" Ramil almost whispered. Tony took his helmet off and slightly smiled at Tabitha.

"Is there any way I can hire you?"

The four went upstairs and found Pepper sitting on the couch on her phone.

"You're still here. And… you bought pizza…" he noticed the pizza boxes on the coffee table. She smiled.

"Figured it was time for a break. They're volunteers; they can't work nonstop like you do…" she smirked. Ashley, Ramil and Tabitha sat down and helped themselves to the pizza. Tony went to his bar.

"Are you going to deny a drink, now?" he looked at Tabitha. She shrugged.

"One drink won't hurt me. You know, Ramil; your sister got me on E&J!" she smiled at him. He laughed.

"She has that effect on people!"

"E&J? You're lucky that I carry everything…" Tony said and started to fix drinks, "What about you two? Pepper?"

"I'll just take a beer if you got it…" Ramil said.

"You know I don't drink on the clock, Tony…"

"You're not on the clock. You were off work five hours ago. Wine; I think you'll like this brand…" Tony volunteered. Pepper sighed and helped him make the drinks. Tony sat down and handed Tabitha hers, which she was glad that Pepper handed her a Pepsi.

"Not everyone drinks their liquor straight…" she pointed out to Tony. Tabitha nodded and mixed her drink, "So, how much more work do you have left?"

"Umm… five more suits, including the prototypes?" Tabitha guessed. Tony nodded.

"Actually… you've went above and beyond my expectations; just one of the prototypes will need the upgrade. Did Peter tell you that you'd be compensated for your work?"

"No."

"Usually, someone would ask for a value to work. Seeing that you didn't, I had no problem with it! But… what you did was amazing; there's no way I could let you leave without any compensation!"

"So… you upgraded the suits?" Pepper asked.

"Upgraded? She perfected them! We ran a few tests and the suit passed them." Tony recalled. From Peter's words, he knew that she was a super heroine and had powers but he was curious as to how she came to be, "Tabitha… how did you get your powers?" Tony suddenly switched the subject. Tabitha sipped her drink and leaned back.

"Long story short; a military experiment gone wrong."

"You were military?" Pepper asked. Tabitha nodded.

"One of my buddies is military. Oh; right on time!" Tony looked towards the front of his home. A man walked in and slightly stared at the group. He was a creamed coffee color, being tall and lean. Tabitha recognized the uniform he was in as an Air Force uniform but was unclear of his rank; she always had trouble with other branches' insignia, "This is James Rhodes, a dear friend of mine and general…"

"Lieutenant colonel…" James corrected.

"… Of the Air Force. This is Tabitha, Ramil and Ashley, my helpers." Tony finished without missing a beat. Tabitha slightly shook her head as she shook James' hand.

"A pleasure, sir."

"Hmm; either you're as southern as your accent portrays or you're military; no one ever calls me sir!"

"Both, actually!"

"You're just in time; she was about to explain it to us. This is the one Peter's been talking about."

"Really?" James shot Tabitha a smile as he sat down across from the couch, "What branch of service are you in?"

"Was; army. I was only a sergeant. Like I was telling Mr. Stark, I was part of an experiment gone wrong."

"Not the 'Operation: Recharge' experiment?" James' eyes lit up.

"Why am I even surprised that you knew about that!"

"Some crackpot named First tried to sell it to my unit. I turned it down. Heard that he's in some mental institute in New York, now. His little band of super soldiers did help a little but the experiment was way too risky in my eyes. Well… sorry…" James realized but Tabitha shook her head.

"No; it's okay. Like I said, it went wrong on me. There was a machine that gave out the electrical jolts to jump start the serum injected into you; it malfunctioned on me…"

"Oh… ouch!" Pepper said for the others.

"Yeah; it killed me. First had my body dumped miles away from my home. A lightning strike brought me back to life. Doc; Ramil's sister found me a month later. We still don't know if this happened when I was first struck or what…" Tabitha said and took her shirt head wrap off. Tony grabbed a strand of her snow-white hair.

"The pigment was stripped. It won't hold any chemicals, will it?"

"Right. Doc taught me all that she knew cuz she's a weather nut and a physics professor. We found out that I had a mutant DNA strand; it was the reason for my powers. A friend of hers found a cure and I was about to go through the procedure but then he was killed by… my best friend." Tabitha painfully explained.

"And, his name was Tony…" Tony figured out, "I take it that you were more than friends."

"Actually… no. I mean, I had always wanted for us to be more than that. We met in the 7th grade and we became friends from the word 'go'! But… seeing that he had been manipulated by First… it was hard. He had orders to hunt me down, no matter what. There was no talking him out of it…" Tabitha kept her tears inside.

"You killed him?" James asked. Tabitha let out a shaky sigh.

"It wasn't like I wanted to. But… he wasn't the Tony that I knew, anymore. The serum warped his mind; it clouded his judgment. It ate at me; God knows it did! It still does. His one mistake was threatening Doc; when he did that, I just… snapped."

"You ever kill after that?" Tony asked. Tabitha looked at him.

"I… yes. But… I wasn't in control. I left Tennessee and moved to New York, to study more on DNA. That's when I met Peter, I learned how to control the intensity of my lightning… and I caught up with First. He made the serum better and injected it into a bunch of kids. He kidnapped me because he needed my blood to perfect the serum. P helped me escape but… I completely lost it… so I was told."

"You don't remember?" Ashley asked. Tabitha shook her head.

"The DNA strand jump starts my adrenaline. So, when I would fight, when I would get upset… I used to go into a rage. When I would get to that stage, I would just black out. The only thing I remembered was looking at First, hitting him a few times and then he used his powers on me; he had overdosed on an antiserum just in case the kids went rogue. It made him ionized which made us immobile. Anyway; after it all, P told me that I killed those who got in my way after he rescued me. I… I didn't mean it. All I wanted to do was get at First. That was it."

"What about now? You seem… docile…" James smirked. Tabitha laughed a little.

"That's all thanks to my… boyfriend…" it made Tabitha blush to say it aloud, "I moved to Gotham City after all that and met Batman. We teamed up, I still had a problem with raging and he eventually put me through 'therapy'; he introduced me to the Justice League."

"I've heard of them. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman…" Pepper joined in. Tabitha nodded.

"One of the founding members helped me through it all; J'onn J'onzz. He offered me a spot in the group if I completed everything successfully. I did and here I am, now!" Tabitha finished explaining.

"I have a feeling that you don't fight as much, anymore." James pointed out.

"I don't but it's okay. Because of my powers, I'm pretty much an electrician around Watchtower; it's where the most of us live: in space. I go on some small missions but… I'm more comfortable being trained on the controls for Watchtower."

"This J'onn; he's your boyfriend, right?" James asked. Tabitha blushed and nodded, "What are his powers?" he finished. Tabitha smirked and took a sip from her drink.

"What **aren't **his powers?" she laughed.

"He's an alien…"

"Martian." Tabitha looked at Tony, "He does it all; telepathy, mind erasing, shape shifting; there's nothing that can stop him." Tabitha boasted.

"Hmm; he deserves the best…" Pepper eyed Tabitha.

"What about you two? It's not fair that Tabitha gets to steal the show!" Tony looked at Ashley and Ramil.

"We're what they call 'bang babies'; there was a chemical explosion in the town we were actually only visiting: Dakota. Those who weren't killed gained superpowers. We're what they like to call benders; we can manipulate certain elements around us. Ashley is water and I'm fire. Once we found out what we could do, we kept to ourselves. That was until Static appeared. With some of the people with powers, they used it to cause crime. Static didn't like it and he fought them. I saw that he was the only one fighting back and decided to help out."

"That's always been Ramil's soft spot; being the hero! I'm kinda glad for it; we didn't know what to do after the explosion. For years, there's been talk about a cure. We've been with our powers for so long… I don't know if we would even want to become normal, again. Static thinks that we might have what it takes to be in the Justice League. I know that it's one of his personal dreams, especially if he isn't cured." Ashley explained. Tabitha looked at the two.

"Really? I'm actually glad you two feel that way; I already put in a good word for the three of you!"

"The benefits of screwing a founding member…" Tony gestured towards Tabitha.

After their break, the four, along with James, went back into the lab.

"As you can see, Tony can be a bit…"

"Of an asshole?" Tabitha thought she found the words for James. He laughed.

"I was going to be gentle about it but yes; he can be an asshole! So, why are you doing this?"

"P asked me. And, he's my friend."

"So as long as a friend asks, you'd do a favor for the biggest prick in the world?" James asked. Tabitha looked at him.

"Wow; if you talk about your friends like that, I hate to hear what you say about your enemies!" she almost laughed. James smiled.

"Being a friend means telling them the truth about themselves. He's a jerk but… he's a good jerk, you know?" James commented. Tabitha nodded. James sat back and watched as Ramil and Ashley went through their procedure for the prototype suit. Tabitha put her goggles on and immediately went to work on it.

"So… is Mr. Stark just all suit? I mean, does he have powers like me or is it just the suit?" she asked James. He watched as Tony went through a couple of more tests with Ashley and Ramil.

"You noticed that glow in the middle of his chest?"

"Yeah; been meaning to ask about that…"

"That powers the suit. We kinda joke and say that it's his heart, now… which can be taken literally." James explained. Tabitha stopped welding and looked at James.

"What? Are you saying that he… doesn't have a heart?"

"It's called an arc reactor, and it's one of his father's best creations. A while back, Tony was out in Afghanistan, promoting one of his top-of-the-line weapons. The thing about Tony is that when it comes to something his company makes, he likes to hand it to you, personally. His hummer was attacked, shrapnel hit his heart and a terrorist group caught him. One of the POWs with him replaced his heart with a makeshift arc reactor, to keep him alive."

"Because, pulling the shrapnel out would've killed him. They needed him alive, huh?"

"Right. They wanted Tony to build them the same weapon that he presented to our soldiers but in less the time. The man was working and running off a generator." James explained lowly. Tabitha looked over at Tony and bit her lip.

"So, what happened?"

"Well, he did what they asked but he was secretly building himself a suit of metal, to escape."

"Huh; the original Iron Man suit…"

"Right. He escaped, I got him back safely to the States, he built another prototype and destroyed what he created in Afghanistan. He also updated the arc reactor so that he didn't have to run off a generator. He went through a lot to create the suit that you see now. And, here you are, making it the perfect weapon." James said. Tabitha looked at him for a second.

"I hear disappointment in your voice. Either you're jealous or he's actually up to no good…"

"Everyone found out that Tony's Iron Man, so that's no secret. The military wants his suits. They're trying to make me force him to hand them over."

"That's not fair. These are Mr. Stark's suits. You said it yourself; he's Iron Man. How does the military think that they can just take over his creation like that; they had no hand in it to begin with! Does he know?"

"There was a press conference with the government. He and the suits are one; you can't have one without the other."

"James… do you like the suit?" Tabitha realized. James shrugged.

"I see why the military wants them. Tony took out a whole terrorist group **and **their weapons as Iron Man!"

"Wait. Mr. Stark has a valid point. His arc reactor powers the suits. That means that they literally can't run without him; the military's shit out of luck!" Tabitha said. James looked at the prototype she was working on.

"You may be right. But, it looks like this one is different from the others. Stand back and look." James offered. Tabitha did so and wondered why she never noticed that the prototype was grey and black. In the other suits, there was a spot in the middle of the chest plate for Tony's arc reactor; the grey prototype had none.

"Huh. I wonder how he's gonna make this one work. Then again, it's just a prototype. What I think is really going on is… you want part of the action." Tabitha smiled at James. When he didn't respond, Tabitha's smile widened, "I knew it! And, I think T… Tony knows it, too! This suit… this suit is for you, James."

"No way! Why would he do that?"

"Because… he's your friend…" Tabitha left it at that as she continued working on the suit.

After completing their work, Tony invited the group to stay for his birthday party the next night. Had James not told the story of how Tony came to be, Tabitha would have declined, like Ashley and Ramil did. But, she wanted to talk to him more about his arc reactor.

Tabitha and James sat in the back of the room as they watched Tony have fun with his guests in his Iron Man suit. Tabitha had noticed that Tony did enjoy drinking a lot, as he finished his eighth drink.

"That isn't healthy… or safe, is it?" she noted. James shook his head.

"If it wasn't safe, he would've killed himself, already. But, it damn sure isn't healthy. You look nice tonight." James surprised her. Tabitha was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans with, of course, her t-shirt head wrap. She admitted that she tried to put on a little makeup but it was the only thing different from the other night.

"Um… thanks?"

"Your Martian boyfriend is lucky."

"He's also a mind reader so watch what you think!"

"Wait… he doesn't even have to be here to read minds?"

"Nope. He doesn't have to know you or have ever seen you before to do so. As long as he has a connection with my mind, he can read the minds of those around me. And… he **could** be here; he's a shape shifter, remember?"

"Makes it hard to cheat!" James almost laughed. Tabitha sipped her champagne.

"Wouldn't think about it! He treats me right."

"Is it serious?" James asked. It made Tabitha think back to her time traveling adventure; fifty years into the future, they were married with two grown children. She realized that J'onn could read her mind at any moment and stopped thinking about it. She smiled down at her glass.

"I would hope so. If you're asking if he's proposed, then the answer's no. But, that's far from my mind, now. Honestly? Because of who he is, we're keeping it hush."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"A little but I understand. It's kind of the code superheroes live by; you keep your relationships quiet, villains can't use it against you. When I was in Gotham City, I was careless. I thought I had my secret identity under wraps but a villain found out. He went after the guy I was dating, seriously dating. Turned him into living clay."

"Damn!"

"Yeah. Then, recently… J'onn's twin brother came after me, searching for him. We still don't know how he knew we were dating or how I was even associated with him. Thank God Ashley and Ramil stopped by to visit!" Tabitha remembered. She also couldn't shake the fact that she was terribly frightened by Ma'alefa'ak but didn't know why. What was it that scared her out of continuing her attack on him?

"Wow! Why do you go through that? Sounds like it's best to be single!" James smiled.

"Because… I love him." it warmed Tabitha to think about it. Her thoughts were interrupted by a series of drunken cheering. Tabitha turned and saw that Tony, very drunk, had taken his spot on the stage with the deejay.

"Oh, hell…" James sighed. Tabitha laughed a little.

"It's his birthday; let him have his moment!" she said. Tony took the microphone and the music stopped.

"Thank you for coming to celebrate with me. I know most of you are wondering how I go to the bathroom in the suit." he announced. Tabitha had to admit that it was one of the things she wondered, herself. Tony closed his eyes and leaned back a little for a moment, "Like that!" he said and everyone laughed.

"Oh, my God; did he really just…"

"I really don't want to know…" James answered Tabitha, shaking his head. Tabitha thought that James was simply worrying too much at the harmless antics of a drunken man until Tony accidently blasted something with the proton beam from his hand. Instead of the crowd becoming intimidated, they cheered and egged Tony on. Pretty soon, Tony was blasting things people were holding up for him to destroy. Tabitha and James jumped out of their seats.

"Okay, now, **that **isn't safe!" she said and followed James to the front. He got on stage with Tony.

"I think that's enough!" James threatened. Tabitha appeared beside him.

"Mr. Stark, James is right; you're gonna seriously hurt someone…"

"I really love your accent, darling; get up here and show 'em what you can do!" Tony tried to pull Tabitha beside him.

"Mr. Stark!"

"Don't be shy; hit me with that lightning of yours!"

"Tony, don't do this; you've had enough fun for tonight." James tried to talk him out of it. Tony lifted his arm out and towards James.

"Tony, don't!"

"I think you're out of your league right about now, soldier boy!" he actually laughed. James stood there, not flinching. Tabitha grabbed Tony's arm.

"Leave him alone and listen to him, please?" Tabitha tried. James narrowed his eyes at Tony but turned around and stormed off. Tony laughed. Tabitha had enough and placed her hands on his chest plate. She charged up and gave him a powerful jolt, knocking him off his feet. The crowd continued to cheer as Tabitha went after James. She followed him down into the lab, "James, what are you about to do?"

"I'm about to even the odds…" he stormed towards the grey prototype, "Help me into this suit." he ordered. Tabitha simply stared.

"Do you even know how to operate it?"

"I'm a pilot; how hard can it be?"

"James, don't do this. Let's just… let him be. He'll eventually tire out and pass out."

"He is going to hurt someone! You said it the other night; this suit was made for me. Please… help me?" James asked. Tabitha sighed but helped him into the suit. It immediately wrapped around James' body. He looked down at it.

"Well?"

"There are sensors all over; I think it'll respond to my moves." he said. Tabitha grabbed the mask and put it over James' head. The front shield covered his face and eye plates lit up, "I got this. Come on, Tabitha; let's clear the party out!" he said and the two left the lab.

When they got back to the party room, Tony was still blasting things away that a drunken blonde was holding up; the crowd was still egging him on. The girl held up a champagne bottle and before Tony could blast it, James did it, himself. Everyone's attention went towards the back. James powered up as well as Tabitha.

"This party is over."

"In other words; you ain't gotta go home but you gotta get the hell outta here!" Tabitha announced. She filled the room up with lightning, making everyone jump and immediately leave. Tony looked at the two and slightly laughed.

"Huh; two against one? You two can't take me on…"

"Tony, you're drunk. I don't wanna hurt you while you're like this…" Tabitha warned.

"Darling, I don't want to hurt **you**!" he retaliated. Tony threw a repulsor ray towards Tabitha before James could react. She did a Lightning Cloud out of the way and appeared right behind Tony. She placed her hands on his back and released her lightning, making Tony stumble.

"…Wow…" James couldn't help himself. It still didn't change the fact that Tony attempted to harm Tabitha. He approached Tony and hit him with all of his might. Tony tried to get up but laughed.

"Is that all you got? She made my suit indestructible! Come on, Rhodey; do you have what it takes?"

"What?"

"Be the 'war machine' you always wanted to be! Or do you even have the balls to do it?" Tony taunted. It angered James enough for him to produce rocket launchers from his back. Tabitha readied herself but then realized that Tony was right about one thing; she had already made the suits indestructible: her lightning powers wouldn't do much to either of them.

"James, don't do it!" she tried. The rocket launchers retracted and James turned around.

"She's right; it isn't worth it…"

"Where you going? Don't walk away!" Tony demanded and threw a repulsor ray at James. He turned around and threw one back at him but Tony dodged it. He charged after James and the two locked arms. Tabitha felt that it would be a good time to distract Tony while he was attempting to take down James and did a Lightning Cloud behind him. Just as she did, the two men had charged their repulsor rays and fired, knocking each other back. James didn't realize until it was too late that Tabitha was right behind Tony and the two crashed into one of the walls of the room.

"No…" James gasped. He hurried over to the two, more worried about Tabitha than Tony; he knew that she was a mutant but didn't think that she was immortal. James scooped her up and went out the window with her. He went to the only place he knew; back to his hangar. James knew that the unit would be surprised to see the suit, let alone who was operating it! By that time, he had had enough of Tony's antics, and now, mixed with his, they may have cost a life.

James was relieved that he still felt a pulse throughout the ten minute trip to his hangar. When they landed, Tabitha finally stirred. James let his mask open up to reveal himself to his unit and spoke with them briefly. By the time Tabitha was transported to the hangar's sick bay and tended to, she was fully awake and responsive. As she rose from the cot, she saw that James walked in and slightly smiled at her.

"You had me worried for a while."

"Where… am I?"

"Edwards Air Force Base... my hangar."

"What happened? I feel like I went through a concrete wall!" Tabitha complained and lay back down.

"That's what happens when you get a guy in a metal suit slamming into you… going through a wall!" James tried to make the situation lighter. He was glad when Tabitha slightly smiled. Tabitha suddenly looked at James.

"James, where's your suit?" she asked. James looked towards one of the walls.

"I… turned it in."

"James!"

"It's for the best, Tabitha! That idiot was out of control last night. He went too far!"

"That was your suit. I **know **he made it for you! And, you just give it up, just like that? I thought that you didn't want the military to have any of his suits!"

"Tabitha… I never said that…"

"So, now what? The military gets a modified, indestructible suit without the owner's consent all because you got a little pissed off at a friend?"

"You could've been killed!"

"This shit doesn't concern me! I can take care of myself! What do you really think the military's gonna do with the suit, James? It's gonna be 'Operation: Recharge' all over, again!"

"Tabitha… just because you lost faith in the military doesn't mean I have, too. And, you're right; this doesn't concern you…" James looked away. Tabitha glared at the man and suddenly jumped out of the cot.

"Fine! Then, why the hell did you save me?" she attempted to storm out. James grabbed her arm.

"Tabitha, wait!" he tried. Tabitha gave him a small jolt, just enough to make him immediately let go of her arm.

"Fuck you!" she said and left.

After checking at his home, Tabitha found Tony enjoying a few donuts at a local donut shop. As she approached him, she saw that he was talking to a man who donned a black eye-patch. When Tony looked up, it drew his company's attention as well. The man was a dark brown and appeared to look old enough to be Tabitha's father. Tony, still in his Iron Man suit, gave Tabitha a subtle smile.

"My southern belle!" he said. Tabitha simply nodded towards the man who had joined Tony at his table.

"Sorry to interrupt. Is there any way I can speak with you… alone?" Tabitha looked straight at Tony. He continued to eat his donut.

"This is the lovely Miss Tabitha Lyght. She's the one I was talking about." Tony introduced. The man looked at Tabitha with a little shock before sticking his hand out.

"Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"S.H.I.E.L.D? That sounds familiar…"

"It's short for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Mr. Stark has talked a lot about you; you were going to be next in line for us to visit."

"They're running a superhero boy band…" Tony commented while drinking coffee. Tabitha shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fury; I already belong to a group of super…"

"I know; the Justice League. You're the last survivor from 'Operation: Recharge', aren't you?"

"How… oh; Mr. Stark must've been running his mouth…"

"Actually, he has some things to tell you that you just might want to sit down and hear about." Tony told Tabitha and offered her a seat. She looked at the two and then reluctantly sat down. As she sat down, a waitress appeared to take her order. Tabitha glanced at her and would've paid her little attention had she not seen the name tag: Hino Rei. The Japanese woman slightly smiled as she took Tabitha's order and left. Tabitha almost couldn't contain her smile.

"_You didn't have to come all the way out here to look after me!_"

"_Tabitha… how did you know?_"

"_Really, J'onn? I stayed a year with the Lindseys; they're anime fanatics! Hino Rei: Sailor Mars? Very cute!_" Tabitha sent a telepathic message to J'onn.

"_I have to remind myself to stop underestimating you! I sensed that you were hurt and came to see if you were alright._"

"_I'm fine, now. A little ticked off but I got a feeling that it's about to get worse! So… thanks for being here… wait; you already know what Fury's about to tell me, don't you?"_

"_For what it's worth, I'm sorry in advance."_

"Are you okay, Lyght?" Nick asked Tabitha. She looked at the two men and slightly smiled.

"Sorry. My boyfriend is telepathic. He was talking to me. And… I do recommend that you don't have any bad thoughts about him; he can read others' minds!" she commented. The two men smiled, "Okay; I'm sitting down. How do you know about 'Operation: Recharge'?"

"That was supposed to be a project in the making for S.H.I.E.L.D. It was in its beta testing phases when a former scientist stole the plans. After that, we modified the program and renamed it the 'Super Soldier' program." Nick explained. Tabitha slowly sat back and shook her head.

"You mean to tell me that son-of-a-bitch wasn't even a real general?" she slowly asked.

"If you're talking about Gary First, then no. Before we could stop him, he had already distributed the serum to real military personnel." Nick explained. Tabitha threw her head back in laughter and looked away.

"So, technically… you're the real reason why I'm like this. I guess you want something from me, then." she stared at Nick. He shrugged.

"Just a sample of your blood, that's all…" he tried but Tabitha immediately started shaking her head.

"No; hell, no! I'm not gonna be responsible for another plague of white-haired kids! You can forget it; I don't care what government agency you're from!" she said and got up.

"You're a valuable asset to your country, now." Nick tried. Tabitha smirked at him.

"No… I'm a valuable asset to the Justice League. I'm just another pawn to everyone else. I wanted to talk to you about your arc reactor but forget it; I'm going back home!" Tabitha turned to leave.

"Tabitha, wait! What do you know about my arc reactor?" Tony asked. Tabitha shook her head.

"Nothing. That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Point blank: I'm dying. I'm pretty sure that Rhodey told you about how I got the arc reactor in my chest. Do you know what palladium is?"

"Vaguely. I know it's a metal, ranked among platinum, I think."

"Well, the core of the arc reactor is made of palladium. It's poisoning me." Tony explained. Tabitha looked at him and slowly sat down.

"Oh… I'm sorry…"

"I wanted to let you know about your father, Mr. Stark, before you go on. He was one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. I knew him personally. We aren't obligated to share information with relatives but when we found out about your arc reactor, I knew I had to give you this." Nick explained. He handed Tony a manila envelope, "It's some old material of your father's. Maybe you could find a solution to your problems in there. I also had something sent to your home that belonged to your father. Ms. Lyght, we'll be seeing you soon."

"No, you won't. If I see anyone who may look like a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, I'm zapping 'em!" Tabitha warned. Nick gave her a small smile and left the two to be alone. Tabitha shook her head, "You really think that there's something in those files that could help you? Who else knows about the poisoning?"

"No one but you and Fury. The thing about Fury: he knows a lot of things that he shouldn't know. So, if he thinks that there's something in here that can help me, I'm gonna go on a whim and say that he might be right."

"Sounds like you're gonna be messing around with a lot of wires if he's right, then."

"Are you volunteering to help?"

"Nope; I gotta get back to Watchtower…"

"There's no rush back…" J'onn, still as the Japanese waitress, calmly said as he refilled Tony's coffee. Before Tony could speak, Tabitha gently grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't worry; it's my boyfriend! I'm guessing that he wants to help… which is odd because he doesn't really trust humans all that much!" Tabitha eyed J'onn. He simply smiled.

"Three heads are better than one. Plus, I know you want to work on his arc reactor!" J'onn said and winked at Tabitha.

The three were in Tony's lab, looking over the files that Nick Fury had given him earlier. J'onn examined Tabitha and paid special attention to the bruises on her arms and on the side of her forehead. He gently caressed the bruise on her forehead.

"What happened?" he asked. Tabitha sighed.

"Mr. Stark and his friend got into a pissing contest and I ended up almost going through a wall…"

"What?" J'onn immediately eyed Tony. Tabitha placed her hands on his chest.

"It wasn't his fault! Well… it kinda was but he didn't see me behind him. Look; I'm fine, J'onn!" she tried to reassure. J'onn only sighed. The two joined Tony, who was sifting through a chest that had been delivered to his home.

"Sorry about yesterday… if that makes you feel any better…" he said without looking at Tabitha. She shrugged.

"You were drunk; it happens. I'm guessing… that was gonna be your last birthday?"

"I figure that I have a few more months; six, maybe?"

"What's gonna happen to Iron Man?"

"Thus the reason I needed help with the upgrades! I will be the first to admit that I'm not fond of the military or S.H.I.E.L.D. taking my creation but… I wouldn't want Iron Man to die along with me. That grey and black prototype Rhodey was in? That's the Mark II armor… I created that one for him specifically…"

"I knew it…" Tabitha smirked. Tony dug out old film reels and documents.

"The plan was to just have Rhodey take over, screw the military AND S.H.I.E.L.D.! But, I think I trust S.H.I.E.L.D. more than I trust the military."

"Mr. Stark… James turned the Mark II armor in…" Tabitha looked away. Tony shrugged.

"Now, you're back to being all formal because your boyfriend is here? Anyway; do you know what Rhodey's title is?"

"Lt. Colonel…?"

"Head of his unit; he's mad at me for now but he'll cool off eventually and take the armor back. I'm not worried about it." he shrugged. The opening of the door drew everyone's attention. Pepper walked in with another woman, Natalie Rushman, who had been appointed his new personal assistant when Pepper was appointed CEO of his company. The two were taken aback as they stared at J'onn. Before anyone could react, Natalie charged at J'onn, only to be handled by Tabitha as she threw her to the ground and put her weight on her.

"Try something else and I will shock the hell outta you!" Tabitha glared.

"Tony…"

"Okay, okay; everyone just calm down! That's Tabitha's alien boyfriend." Tony announced. Tabitha got off of Natalie and helped her up. She stared at Tabitha.

"You're quick… and strong…"

"And, you are…"

"Here to help Tony. I was assigned as his personal assistant but… I'm actually an S.H.I.E.L.D. operative…"

"I wondered why I had an urge to shock you…" Tabitha eyed. Natalie stuck her hand out and Tabitha reluctantly shook it.

"Natasha Romanoff. Fury told me about you, Miss Lyght but I'm not here for you. I was assigned to keep an eye on Mr. Stark." she said and immediately approached Tony. She pulled out a syringe out of her pocket and injected him with it.

"Hey!" Tabitha tried to go after her but J'onn held her back.

"It's okay. She gave him a serum to slow down the poison." he explained. Natasha looked at him.

"How did you know that?"

"He reads minds. And, he's a Martian, not an alien!" Tabitha answered but glared at Tony.

"I'm sorry if I startled you two. I'm more comfortable in my natural form."

"Thank you… Natasha. I would fire you but… no harm, no foul! Well, if you would like to join me…"

"I just wanted to give you the serum, Mr. Stark." Natasha said and left. Tony looked at Tabitha.

"You didn't even give your boyfriend a chance to react! She's a keeper…" he winked at J'onn.

The two helped Tony go through the many documents before they went through the film.

"James had told me that your dad created the original arc reactor. According to this, some guy named Anton Vanko helped him." Tabitha read. Tony stopped reading and looked out into space for a minute.

"Vanko…" he wandered off.

"What's up with that name?"

"A while back, I was attacked by a man named Ivan Vanko when I was racing in Monaco. Now, it makes sense why he attacked me."

"Huh; you race, too?"

"I made a bucket list; I'm poisoned, remember?"

"Your father was remarkable. I see why a lot of his projects were incomplete; he had to wait for technology to advance. It's no wonder Fury gave you his artifacts; he knew that you could finish them." J'onn contributed. Tony slightly nodded his head.

"It might lead to a cure. Guess we could go through to see which of his projects were unfinished…"

"Which would take a while. I want to watch one of these reels first." Tony stated.

Tony was glad that he did; in one, his father, Howard Stark spoke about a Stark Expo that was taped in 1974. The group found the reel and played it.

"Wait… this is a coded message as well…" J'onn realized. Tony looked at the footage and then paused it. The two men studied the still frame.

"You're right. Is that a… atomic structure? What element is that?"

"Hmm… it's not of any known elements. It looks like a new element." J'onn said and started copying the diagram. Tabitha looked at it.

"Do you think… no, that's impossible. How would your dad know that you would be infused with an arc reactor?"

"He wouldn't have. But… he probably envisioned the arc reactor replacing the heart or at least helping it."

"You'll need help synthesizing this new element. It could very well replace the palladium."

"How would I go about doing that?" Tony actually asked himself. Tabitha immediately got on her communicator.

"Doc? I hope you're not busy…"

"Tabs! No, not at all; what's up?"

"I gotta question for you; if someone discovered a new element, how would they go about to making it?"

"A new… element? Someone discovered a new element?"

"Doc…" Tabitha sighed.

"Sorry! Well, what did you expect; this is huge news! Um… well, the first thing to do would be to create a particle accelerator. But that's highly advanced physics; I wouldn't even know where to begin to make one!"

"And, then?"

"You synthesize the atomic structure and boom; you got your new element! What type of element are we talking about?"

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that it's a metal."

"A metal?" Jamila thought for a while. Then, she gasped, "You're with Mr. Stark, aren't you? He found a new element?"

"His dad did, actually; long time ago. Doc, I hate to cut this short but it's very important that we create this new element as quick as possible."

"Of course, of course! Tabs, when you get done, you gotta let me know the details!" Jamila persisted. Tabitha laughed.

"I promise! Take care, doc; tell the kids I love them."

"Will do!" Jamila said and Tabitha ended the call. She looked at Tony.

"Sorry; that was my best friend. She's the physics professor I told you about. I figured she would know. She said something about creating a particle accelerator?"

"Ah; of course! You seem highly intelligent, J'onn; would you like to help myself and J.A.R.V.I.S.?"

"Jarvis?"

"My computer system." Tony answered Tabitha.

"You named your computer system? Why Jarvis?"

"Because it's 'Just a Rather Very Intelligent System'…"

"Just a… oh… ha, ha, ha…" Tabitha laughed sarcastically as they left the room.

Hours later, the particle accelerator was created and the new element was created. Tony looked at Tabitha.

"Would you like to do the honors, darling?" he asked, holding up the new triangular arc reactor.

"What if… this new element speeds up the poisoning?"

"It shouldn't. I studied the atomic structure and the element; there isn't anything there that would be harmful to the human body." J'onn answered. Tabitha looked at Tony and nodded. Tabitha helped Tony hook up a life support system to him. He talked her through how to replace the arc reactor.

"Mr. Stark… I could make sure that these wires never fray on you. That way, the only thing you would have to replace would be the actual arc reactor and not any of the wires…" Tabitha suggested. Tony looked at J'onn.

"Is she that good?" he asked. J'onn smiled.

"The list is too long to name all that she's done for the Justice League." he said. Tony smiled at Tabitha.

"Make me better, then!"

It only took Tabitha a few minutes to upgrade and replace the arc reactor in Tony's chest. Tony walked J'onn and Tabitha out, along with Pepper.

"Thank you for your help. You literally saved my life. So… anytime you need my assistance, I'll be there for you."

"You know… deep down, you're an okay guy! It was no problem, Tony…" Tabitha said and the two smiled. Tony handed her a glass case that contained the old arc reactor and an envelope.

"I know your kind. I would've offered you money and you would've declined. So, take this instead." he offered. Tabitha smiled and took the case.

"Thanks! I would have wanted this instead, anyway!" she laughed. Tony and Pepper shook their hands, "Guess we'll be on our way. Oh; let's make a stop in Memphis before we go back to Watchtower." Tabitha looked at J'onn. He nodded.

"So, being curious; how do you travel?"

"Teleportation through Watchtower. Think Star Trek!" Tabitha told Tony.

"That doesn't affect you in any way?" Pepper asked. Tabitha shrugged.

"It makes me a bit dizzy for a few seconds but I've gotten used to it! Well, we'll see you two later!" Tabitha said. J'onn and herself waved at the two and were immediately teleported to in front of Dr. Lindsey's home. After her dizzy spell left her, Tabitha checked her watch and knocked on the door. Albert answered it with a smile.

"Wasn't expecting you two! You got lucky; we were just about to head up!" he said and let the two in. Jamila immediately came out of the kitchen, ran up to Tabitha and hugged her.

"Tabs; J'onn! I take it you guys are coming back from Mr. Stark's?" she asked. Tabitha immediately showed Jamila the glass case and she gasped, "Is that what I think that is?"

"That is his old arc reactor. He gave it to me and I figured that you'd want to have it in your possession! You know more about that stuff than I do but I figured we could work together on it! Oh; the envelope's mine… which I can only guess that it's money when I told him I didn't want to get paid!" Tabitha told her, removing the glass top. She immediately opened the envelope and saw the check that she was expecting to see. The amount on the check however was the surprise as her eyes widened.

"I know that look; it's a huge chunk of change, isn't it?" Jamila asked her. Tabitha showed her the check and Jamila's eyes widened as well, "Two hundred and fifty grand? Me and Albert don't make that much in a year combined! Wow…"

"You must have done a hell of a job!" Albert pitched in. Tabitha laughed.

"Oh; I only just made all of his suits indestructible and did research on a new element that saved his life; that's a long story…" Tabitha looked at Jamila when she opened her mouth.

"You guys want to sit for a minute before you teleport off?" Jamila smiled and led them to the living room.

"We won't stay long; you two were heading up to bed." J'onn said as they sat down.

"Not really worried about it; there's a half day at the college tomorrow and he's off." Jamila told them. As Jamila went into the kitchen to get the two something to drink, Tabitha looked at the other items in the envelope: a card that contained Tony's contact information and a small note:

"Thanks for your help, again, darling! I got a little carried away at the party and never meant to put you in any physical danger. Whenever Rhodey comes around and start speaking to me, again, I'll let you know."

Jamila slightly stared at the two while she poured herself and Tabitha a glass of juice.

"J'onn, I don't know if Martians drink anything…"

"I'm fine, thank you." he responded.

"_J'onn, I hope you're in my head; Tabs know that she won't be normal ever again._"


	18. Lost Part 1

Chapter Eighteen: Memories Lost, Part One

"Hmm… this is someone new…" Lex Luthor stated as he looked at a still frame on the screen. He recognized in disdain the rest of the superheroes: Batman, Wonder Woman and of course, Superman. But, he had no clue who the white-haired woman was, "Nice outfit…" he found himself actually saying aloud. The woman had on a skin tight black outfit, showing off a few curves and a black mask. He printed out the image and made his way to the place where he felt he could get some answers: Cadmus headquarters.

An actual government project at first, Cadmus was designed to take precautions against the Justice League going rogue. It was immediately created when Superman was brainwashed by Darkseid to invade Earth. The project was meant to actually deal with if only he went rogue but was extended to the rest of the Justice League, especially the founding members. The project was found and funded by Lex Luthor, himself however none of the Justice League members knew of that fact or the real reason for Cadmus.

Lex showed Amanda Waller, the project's leader, the photo. She went to a computer in one of the labs.

"She **is **a new member. She doesn't get out much like the others so there isn't much to report on her. All we know is that her name is Tabitha and her main ability is lightning-based. She doesn't pose as a threat if she ever went rogue…"

"But, she is still a Justice League member. Tell me this isn't the first time she's been seen out and about."

"She's usually with Batman and Wonder Woman. I have seen her quite a few times with J'onn J'onzz." Amanda told him. Lex scratched his chin.

"Not too many new members are seen with him; there must be something about her if he's with her. I need to find out more about her… for the project's sake." he said and took the photograph.

It took him all night just to research the little information that he retrieved on "Tabitha". Lex's first search took him to a story dated almost three years ago about a phenomenon that happened in Memphis, TN where a few homeless people were found mysteriously electrocuted to death in an alleyway; the occurrences stopped a month afterwards. There was another story about a scientist/college professor named Wyatt Rivera who was found electrocuted in his home but an autopsy confirmed it as a "freak accident". Another search had given him hope; with a story that happened in New York a year after the Memphis incident: a man simply known as "Alpha" was apprehended by Spider-Man because of his creation of mutant children, who were dubbed "White Hairs". The story sparked Lex's interest all due to a little fact that was made public in The Daily Bugle: Alpha had created an antiserum just in case the children decided to go rogue, making the madman ionized. Lex immediately booked a flight for New York in the morning.

Lex was escorted to the fourth floor of the mental institution and calmly waited for Alpha. He was surprised to see an older man being handcuffed to the chair across from him. The man, of course, looked at Lex strangely and then at the guards.

"I don't know this guy…"

"Of course you don't, Mr. First. You can call this a government visit. I would like to talk to you in private if it's okay." Lex steadily looked at the guards. He flashed his Cadmus badge and the guards reluctantly left the two men alone. Lex placed the photo of Tabitha on the table for Gary to look at, "You created her, didn't you?" Lex asked. Gary stared at Tabitha and slightly smiled.

"Not purposely. If you're asking if she's human, then yes, she is."

"So, you know her better than anyone else…"

"Staff Sergeant Tabitha Lyght. One hell of a motivated soldier. I stole a serum from S.H.I.E.L.D. that was in its beta testing. Accompanied with a few electrical jolts, the serum would give anyone a temporary boost in adrenaline, superhuman strength and speed. You put that together with military training…"

"Then, there would be no need for weapons…"

"Bingo! The machine malfunctioned on Tabitha and killed her." Gary started back. He then realized that a total stranger was interested in Tabitha and looked away, "That's… all I know…" he finished. Lex raised an eyebrow at him.

"Surely, you're joking! The man who created an antiserum for the serum he stole doesn't know how that woman came to be?" Lex questioned. Gary finally looked at him.

"I don't know you and I'm pretty sure that Tabitha doesn't either. Why do you want to know so much about her?"

"Call me curious."

"You're not from any government agency…"

"You're right; I only fund one. This agency is trying to keep tabs on all these so-called 'superheroes'. Let's face it; sooner or later, they're going to take advantage of us mere mortals, us puny humans. This faction is just making sure that it happens later, if at all."

"Tabitha wouldn't hurt anyone…"

"Really? What about those homeless people in Memphis? That was her doing, wasn't it? And, Dr. Wyatt Rivera? Or were their deaths caused by the others that you created?" Lex asked. Gary gave him a half smile.

"What's in it for me?" he asked. Lex smiled a little.

"How about an early release for good behavior?" he asked. It sparked Gary's interest and he looked at Lex, once again.

"I panicked when she died and had her body dumped in Memphis. Someone or something brought her back to life. When it did, she had powers. As much voltage the machine caused when it malfunctioned, it transformed the serum into an actual DNA strand. It gave her lightning abilities on top of superhuman strength and speed. I'm figuring that she didn't know how to use those powers at first and electrocuting those bums was purely accidental. In the meantime, I had a hunch that increasing the voltage would increase the effectiveness of the serum. So, I made her best friend into a human weapon of mass destruction. He was the one who killed Dr. Rivera; I ordered him to so that Tabitha wouldn't get cured."

"It's no wonder you're in here…" Lex smiled a little. He was actually a bit intrigued on Gary's thought process: to turn someone's own best friend against them was beyond maniacal yet ingenious, "How do I get in contact with her?"

"That, I honestly don't know. The last time I saw her was a couple of years ago; her and some others came to visit me. It looked like some type of therapy treatment."

"Was one of them a Martian?" Lex seriously asked. It was enough to make Gary laugh.

"Seriously? No; they were just regular-looking guys." he said. Lex could only nod. He got up and looked at Gary.

"Thanks for your time."

"Wait; are you really going to keep your word? You'll have them reduce my sentence?" Gary asked. Lex smirked at him.

"Of course."

"One more thing: if you're going after her, be careful; she has some pretty heavy rage issues. Not that I blame her…"

Lex went to Gotham City, seeing that Tabitha was seen with Batman; he knew that the place was where he was frequently seen. It was risky but he probed around the shady areas and of course, many of the thugs had seen her before as well as been on the unfortunate side to feel her powers. Also unfortunate but Lex had to pay for some information.

"Yeah; she scares me. Anyone who can hit you with lightning like that? Almost wanna make an honest man outta ya! Ain't it enough we got that bat freak around?"

"Her outfit's different but that's her, alright. Glad she's gone; now all we gotta worry about is Batman."

"The lightning chick? Yeah; she's hardcore! Watched her go berserk on my boss quite a few times. To think; if she was on **our **side? Ha; Batman would be in trouble!" one particular thug mentioned.

"Who is your boss?"

"Eh; funny… I can't recall right about now…" the guy smiled a little. Lex sighed heavily and gave him more money, "Yeah; **now **I remember! Joker. Can't say that he's easy to get in contact with; his girlfriend gives us the orders."

"How do I find **her**?"

"The thing about that; you don't contact them, they contact **you**! Even if you gave me your life savings, pal, I wouldn't be able to tell you where to find them!"

"Let's see if you can handle this, then: get the word out that a man has been throwing his money around trying to find one of them."

"More money for me, then?"

"If you're the one that escorts me personally to one of them… then, yes…"

"Oh; I'll make sure of it!"

Lex didn't have to wait much longer; two hours after that conversation, the thug found him and escorted him to an abandoned toy factory. He was immediately greeted by a woman dressed head-to-toe in a black and red jester outfit, Harley Quinn and Joker, himself. After a short conversation, Lex found out all he wanted to know about Tabitha Lyght. The two concocted a scheme for Tabitha to actually come to Lex and he left with a lot of satisfaction. With all the talk around town, he was convinced that with her sudden disappearance from Gotham City that she was being held on a short leash somewhere by the Justice League. Probably in that contraption in space, he thought. He had to agree with the thug even without seeing her powers; Tabitha may be a better fit as a super villain. She would at least be free to do whatever she wanted to do and not cooped up in Watchtower. Lex couldn't wait for the plan to go into effect.

Joker had informed Harley to deliver a package to Ethan Bennett as well as an apology. She found him getting off work at his new job as head of security at Wayne Industries. He had been put on probation after his trial and Bruce was kind enough to offer his friend a job. His only order was to not shape shift and would be given random medical tests to show that he wasn't shifting.

Ethan stared at the woman at first but then recognized her.

"You're trying to provoke me so that I can be in violation…" he almost sneered. Harley just smiled at him.

"Mr. J wanted to extend his deepest apologies!"

"Yeah, right. You tell him that when I find him, I will take care of him!"

"Don't be like that! He was wondering if you had heard from your girlfriend…" she tried to coax. Ethan gave her a cold stare.

"He better leave her alone…"

"Mr. J doesn't want to hurt her; he's just trying to be nice!"

"Why should I believe you?"

"Trust me; Mr. J doesn't want anything to do with your girl! If anything, he wants her as far away from him as possible!" Harley answered. Ethan thought about it for a moment.

"I'll take your word for it… for now…"

"You miss her, don't you?" she asked. Ethan sighed.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this. But… yeah; I miss her a lot. It's partly my fault why she's not back here. I really need her right about now…" Ethan looked away. After calming down, he had forgiven Bruce and understood why he was posing as Batman; it wasn't anything personal against the police: he had his own vendetta.

Because they were back friends, Bruce had confided to Ethan about Tabitha's new boyfriend and remarked that she seemed happy although the guy babied her a lot. Her new guy was a superhero as well and so Ethan accepted that fate, "Anyway; her birthday is coming up. Can't help but to think about her around this time."

"Well, this is very convenient, then! Give this to her as a present!" Harley gave him a delicately wrapped small box. Ethan stared at it.

"What is it?"

"Something that every girl needs; scented oils! I picked them out myself! I wanted to give them to her as a farewell present but I have a feeling that if you take the credit for it, she won't throw them away!" she said. Ethan took the box and looked at her.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because… I know how it feels to love someone from afar…" she gave him a more serious look. Harley suddenly smiled and turned around, "Nice talking to ya!" she said and left.

That night, Bruce stopped by Ethan's to administer one of the random medical tests. While doing so, he noticed a nicely wrapped box.

"What's the box?" he asked Ethan. He slightly smiled.

"Oh, yeah; it's for Tabby. I… wanted to apologize to her and seeing that her birthday is coming up… I got her something…"

"Her birthday's coming up? Wow…"

"Don't tell me that you didn't know! Anyway; I know that she has someone else but I figured that it wouldn't hurt anything to give her something."

"I don't think he would mind. I can give it to her."

"Thanks, Bruce. Just tell her that I said happy birthday…"

It was long overdue but Tabitha found herself in the training area. With everything that she went through during the past two months, Tabitha needed to relieve some stress. In the Army, Tabitha didn't work out on her own as much but she was in good shape. Becoming a mutant made her realize that she needed to work out more often. Tabitha was glad that she finally had the free time to do so.

As she walked inside the area, Tabitha was greeted by Wildcat. Ted Grant was a prized fighter in his day. When he was framed for the murder of his manager, Ted stepped down as a boxer and became a vigilante. He joined the Justice League after the Thanagarian invasion (where Shayera betrayed the Justice League). Tabitha had heard that Wildcat had trained numerous Justice League members, including Black Canary.

Ted was sparring on a punching bag as Tabitha approached him.

"So you're the new member…" Ted said, without looking at her.

"I'm not that new; I've been here for two years now." Tabitha said. Ted stopped sparring and looked at her. He was older than she expected; maybe around her grandfather's age, Tabitha thought. But it looked as though he was still in great shape.

"Well, you're the newest member that we have. I didn't get the chance to train with you. Heard you were military. Is that true?"

"Yeah." Tabitha said. At first, she looked around for a pair of boxing gloves but then she realized that she may not get a boxing lesson in. She looked at Ted and shrugged, "So you're saying that we should train right now?"

"If you have the time. I'll be honest with you; I've never trained anyone military. If anything, you might can teach me a thing or two." he winked. Tabitha smiled.

"It's been a while since I've done hand to hand combat; ever since I became a mutant, I've always used my powers to fight."

"Don't use that word."

"What word?" Tabitha asked. Ted huffed.

"'Mutant'. It's a derogatory word. When people hear that word, it usually has a negative effect."

"What else am I supposed to call myself?"

"You're a Metahuman. It means someone who was born human but gained superpowers."

"Metahuman, huh? I actually like the sound of that! Well… ready when you are!" she smiled. Ted took his stance.

"One rule: no superpowers." he said. Tabitha gave him a blank stare.

"Wait… what?"

"You heard me. It wouldn't be fair to me; I don't have any powers." he said. Tabitha slightly nodded.

"Fair enough. And here I was thinking that Bruce was the only one!" she said.

Tabitha found it a challenge to not use her superpowers. However, she found that concentrating on her natural strength relieved her stress immensely. Ten minutes into their training, the two didn't realize that they were being watched. The Justice League founders all watched as Tabitha proved that she was still good in hand to hand combat.

"Wow, she's pretty good!" John said. J'onn simply nodded. The only time he had seen her fight was two years ago against Diana; she had been holding back. But this time, J'onn was happy to see her give it her all.

"I don't think she's using her powers." Diana said.

"No. She's using her Army training. Not bad at all…" Bruce said.

The group watched Tabitha and Ted spar for another ten minutes. Their training session ended when Tabitha flipped Ted on his back. She placed her knee into his stomach to pin him down. Ted could only smile.

"Amazing! You're very tactical; I like that!" he said. Tabitha helped him up.

"It's what the Army taught me." Tabitha smiled.

"Want to train some more?" Ted asked. Tabitha was about to agree until she finally noticed that the two were being watched. She felt flustered as J'onn slightly smiled his approval.

"Sorry, Ted; Tabitha will have to decline your offer. Someone else wants to train with her." J'onn said. Tabitha looked at the group and smirked.

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"Me." J'onn said and approached her. Everyone, including Tabitha looked on in amusement.

"Um… that's not fair?" Tabitha tried. J'onn just smiled.

"Why isn't it? You** are** a Justice League member, right?"

"But, I'm human…"

"No; you're a Metahuman: a big difference from a human._ Trust in your instincts, Tabitha and stop worrying!_"

"_What are you trying to prove?_"

"_That you're as strong as anyone else in this room._" he told her and charged after her. The move caught Tabitha off guard and J'onn tackled her to the ground. He pinned her down to the mat by her wrists, making sure that he put all his weight on her.

"Remember: use your instincts. Don't panic…" J'onn whispered. He was right, Tabitha thought. She remembered that J'onn was intelligent, super intelligent and so she had to find a way not to out power him but to simply outthink him.

Tabitha charged up and let loose her powers, which made J'onn let go of her. She lifted her legs to her chest and pushed J'onn off with her feet as hard as she could. He looked at her.

"So, we're using our powers now?"

"How else am I supposed to fight you?" she asked. Bruce shrugged.

"She has a point. She's no match to J'onn without her powers."

"Even if he doesn't use his?" Wally asked. Bruce looked at him.

"J'onn is still more powerful than her at 50%."

"Well, since you want to use powers now…" J'onn went to the air. Tabitha slightly smiled and immediately did a Lightning Cloud towards him. She needed him out of the air and back on the ground; she would've been at a clear disadvantage if J'onn stayed in the air. Plus, Tabitha wanted to see how long she could stay in the air by using Lightning Cloud at a constant rate.

Tabitha started to deliver a series of lightning quick hits and was surprised at her timing. The others on the ground were just as shocked as J'onn was at her speed; she was moving so fast he can only block her attacks.

She wasn't a complete blur but she was incredibly fast. The most surprising thing was that Tabitha's hits were actually stinging J'onn. He had to admit that he tried to cheat by going through her mind, to see her strategy. But, he was even more shocked that it was blank; it actually put a small smile on his face.

"What's the matter, J'onn; can't keep up?" she asked in between hits. He wanted to smile at her cockiness but didn't like it; he had to teach her a lesson about her overconfidence. It was risky but J'onn knew he had to stop the all-out assault she was giving him; he grabbed her wrist right before she landed another punch and flung her across the room… forgetting to take into account that Tabitha was still human. Tabitha crashed into the wall, creating a large dent and fell to the floor with a loud thud. Before Wally and Bruce could come to her rescue, she slowly got up, "_Forgot that I was human?_"

"_I'm sorry, I'm so sorry; I… actually did for a moment…_" he told her and went over to help her up, "Tabitha… are you okay?" he asked, lifting her up. Tabitha grabbed her right side and winced.

"Eh… think you broke a few ribs… like fifteen of 'em…"

"Tabitha… that's all women have are fifteen rib bones!" Bruce had to smile.

"Yeah… that feels about right, then…" she breathed. J'onn helped her walk.

"I'm so sorry, Tabitha… I guess training is over with…"

"Yeah… for you, it is…"Tabitha couldn't hide her smile much longer. Before J'onn could respond, Tabitha grabbed on to his shoulder, placed her right leg behind him and gave him a quick sweep to the ground. Tabitha immediately got up, placed her knee in his shoulder and prepared to strike, charging up her fist with lightning. J'onn was completely caught off guard and looked at her in shock.

"You were faking… I can't believe I didn't catch on to that… was that one of the children's favorite moves?"

"Yep…" she smiled, "Now… do I really have to hit you?"

"That won't be necessary…" J'onn answered and immediately made himself transparent.

"Oh; you cheater!" she said and immediately attacked. She was stopped short when she received a slight blow to her stomach.

"Cheater? I wasn't the one who faked an injury, Tabitha…" she heard J'onn's voice. Tabitha got to her feet and looked around the room. She was painfully reminded of her fight with J'onn's twin brother; how he became transparent and there was nothing Tabitha could do about it. She still tried to figure out what was it about him that made her too scared to fight back.

Before Tabitha could come up with a strategy, she was swept off her feet. Before she landed, she threw lightning behind her, almost hitting the on lookers.

"_Be careful not to hurt anyone else…" _J'onn told her.

"_What am I supposed to do? This isn't fair; you can't be touched when you're invisible!_" she responded. J'onn only laughed aloud.

"_Are you sure? Concentrate, Tabitha…"_ J'onn told her but tripped her, yet again. Tabitha jumped to her feet but didn't attack; she realized that it was pointless to do so. Tabitha started to think of how she could make him visible, again. She looked around on the matted floor, to see if she could catch a glimpse of his foot imprints. But, she soon realized that J'onn was too smart for that; he was air borne. Now, Tabitha had to worry about what to do to get him out of the air **and **visible! She could try to aim her lightning in the air but she remembered how she had filled the entire apartment with lightning and didn't hit Ma'alefa'ak at all. If only Ashley was here to blood-bend him or if Ramil…

Tabitha stopped thinking and a smile crept on her face. She quickly looked around the area for something to help her out; across the room by the treadmills were a bunch of towels. To keep J'onn from attacking her again, Tabitha did a Lightning Cloud over to the towels, grabbed one and placed it in the middle of the room. She made sure that it was clean and dry. Then, she closed her eyes and made her breathing shallow. Regardless of if he was invisible, he had to make some type of sound before he attacked, Tabitha thought. All she had to do… was concentrate.

Tabitha wanted to wait for the right moment; timing was impeccable for this to work. She thought that she would be able to hear J'onn closing in on her to attack. But, she was surprised that she didn't hear him; she felt him. He was coming from her left side and Tabitha immediately did a Lightning Cloud to the towel. She charged up with all of her might and let her lightning set the towel ablaze. Just as she thought, J'onn immediately became visible and Tabitha wasted no time shocking him, sending him to his hands and knees. She slowly approached him, charging up again.

"Okay… you got me…" J'onn surrendered. Tabitha smiled a little.

"You're not letting me win, again, are you?" she asked and he lightly laughed.

"I'm powerless with that fire going… great job, Tabitha…" he looked at her. Bruce extinguished the burning towel as Tabitha helped J'onn up.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. If you can't physically beat someone, expose their weakness."

"So, let's see: not only did she just beat J'onn in training but she beat him in chess; she can beat me in a race, she's made your cape indestructible and your bracelets more durable… if that doesn't make her an honorary member, I don't know **what **will!" Wally mused.

Tabitha finished drying her hair and opened the door. She smiled at J'onn and let him in. He gave her a light kiss.

"I see you're not mad at me."

"Why would I be? It was training."

"Well… for starters, I tricked you and then… I hurt you…"

"I will admit; it stung more than I had expected! You've never used your powers on me, before."

"It wasn't like I wanted to; you gave me no choice!" Tabitha smiled and hugged him.

"I didn't really hurt you, did I?" J'onn remembered. Tabitha shrugged.

"I admit; it was a hell of a surprise when I hit that wall! But, no; I'm good! So… are you spending some free time with me, now?"

"Of course. I was wondering… if you wanted to go out on a date."

"Wait… what do you mean? Like… normal couples?" Tabitha looked at him in shock. J'onn laughed.

"Why do you sound so shocked?"

"We're nowhere near a normal couple! **You're **not normal!"

"I have a feeling I should take offense to that…" he said. Tabitha laughed.

"A date is supposed to be relaxing. You don't know how to do that…"

"So, let me prove to you that I can. Let's go out on a date." he simply said. Tabitha looked at him for a while and smiled.

"Oh, my God; this is gonna be so weird…"

After agreeing on a human form, J'onn and Tabitha went on their date in Metropolis. For the first time since becoming a Metahuman, Tabitha had on a wig; she didn't want to wear her head wrap to a fancy restaurant. J'onn and Tabitha entered and approached the host.

"We have a reservation for John Jones." he told the host. He looked at the books and then smiled at the two.

"Ah; Mr. Jones! Table for two. Right this way, please." he led the two to a table in the middle. The two sat as Tabitha looked in amusement at the flower arrangement on the table; a variety of roses, her favorite. She looked at J'onn.

"You made reservations?"

"Yes, I did…"

"You had all this planned all along?"

"Let's just call it an early birthday present." he grabbed Tabitha's hand and kissed it, making her blush.

"And, you remembered…"

"Of course. I'm your boyfriend, right? I know that everyone will want to spend some time with you on your special day. I just wanted to do something special for you."

"Without tipping to the others that we're together, right?"

"When are you going to let that go?" J'onn almost sighed.

"When you tell everyone that we're dating! Are you ashamed of me or something?"

"What? No! I've never been ashamed of you, Tabitha. It's… complicated." J'onn left it at that. Tabitha leaned back in her chair and studied him. Then she slightly smiled.

"I get it, now. John Jones doesn't want everyone to get to know the real him." she leaned closer to him, "Not that what he portrays isn't the real him. But… he doesn't want the others to know that he does have some human traits in him after all!"

"When you say it like that, it puts me in a bad light…" he said. Tabitha laughed.

"I'm sorry. But, now… I understand… kinda! Whenever you're ready, then." Tabitha told him. J'onn smiled.

Tabitha was glad that J'onn gave her the day off as she sat with her plate in the cafeteria. Of course he would; it was her birthday, she thought to herself. On their date, J'onn had mentioned that everyone else would want to spend time with her that day. However, Tabitha couldn't think of anyone else besides Jamila and Wally who would want to. She didn't mind it; she always felt that birthdays were a little overrated. Maybe it was because she had so many disappointed ones, especially since becoming an adult: every time she made big plans, they were somehow ruined or didn't live up to the expectations that she had.

She had, of course, made plans to go back to Earth to spend a little time with the good doctor and her family; if anything, her mother always cooked her favorite meal for her birthday and that was at least something to look forward to!

Tabitha's thoughts were interrupted when her plate had suddenly disappeared.

"What the hell…" she asked no one in particular. She felt a small gust of wind and a cake sat in front of her. Seconds later, gifts appeared on the table and candles were put and lit on the cake. Tabitha laughed aloud. Soon, the majority of the Justice League members gathered around the table to sing Happy Birthday to her, including the founding members. Tabitha blushed and blew out her candles, "I can't believe you guys remembered…"

"Actually, it was because of me!" Wally boasted and everyone laughed.

"Thanks, guys! I… don't know what to say…" Tabitha wiped at her moist eyes; she really hadn't expected anyone else but Wally to give her a gift.

"Are those tears?" Clark asked, smiling.

"No!" Tabitha quickly answered, "My contacts…"

"Tabitha… you have 20/20 vision…" John laughed.

"Hey; do I reveal **your **secrets? I don't think so…" she smiled back.

"Well, then let's eat some cake while you open your gifts!" Wally said, handing her a knife. Tabitha began slicing cake for everyone.

"A lot of us didn't know what to give you…" Diana admitted. Tabitha shook her head and smiled.

"It's the thought that counts so I'm not worried about it! The fact that you guys took the time to even get me a card is enough for me!" she said. J'onn approached her with a bag.

"Well, then; open mine first." he told her with a hint of a smile. Tabitha looked at him.

"Oh; because you're Monitor, I have to open yours first?"

"Yes…" he told her and everyone laughed.

"J'onn with a sense of humor?" John asked Diana. She shrugged. Tabitha looked inside the bag and gave him a huge smile.

"Aw, J'onn…" she said and pulled out the bag of Oreos. She looked at them, "Wait; birthday cake Oreos?"

"It's their one-hundredth anniversary. I hope you like them."

"Are you kidding me? Birthday cake mixed with Oreo; yeah, these things are **definitely **getting drowned later on!" she said and everyone laughed, "Thank you." she smiled at him. Without thinking, Tabitha hugged him. J'onn pretended to be shocked and reluctantly hugged her back.

"… you're welcome…" he stumbled.

"Mine next." Diana volunteered and gave Tabitha a box. Tabitha opened it and revealed a lacy lingerie set. She immediately put it back in the box and looked at Diana, blushing.

"Diana!"

"It's for your 'someone special'…" she winked and looked at Wally. He raised his eyebrows.

"Wait; what? Um… she's my sister so… ew!"

"_Can't wait for tonight; eating Oreos with you in that…_"

"_**J'onn!**_"

"_What? Boyfriend, remember?_" J'onn told Tabitha. She shook her head and put the box aside.

"Thanks… I guess!" Tabitha said. Bruce approached her with two gifts, "Trying to outdo everyone?"

"No. This one is from Ethan." he gave her the delicately wrapped one. Tabitha looked at the box and back at Bruce.

"… what?"

"He told me to tell you happy birthday… although he wouldn't admit that he also wanted to apologize." Bruce explained. Tabitha opened the box and saw the scented oil gift package. She looked at the three small bottles of oil: bamboo water, clean linen and rose garden.

"This was really nice of him. Tell him that I said thank you… and apology accepted."

Tabitha opened the rest of her gifts, thanked everyone and put them in her room. Although she was embarrassed, Tabitha was actually looking forward to later that night as well as trying out the scented oils. It was the first time in a couple of years that she had thought about Ethan; she wanted to make a trip down to Earth to thank him personally.

Tabitha made her way to the area that housed the controls of Watchtower; she found herself quite bored now that she had so much free time. J'onn turned around and looked at her, smiling a bit.

"Are you enjoying your day off?"

"Not really; I'm bored! Maybe I could do just a little bit of work."

"Or… you can go ahead and spend the rest of the day on Earth."

"I can't believe you're letting me go by myself! Guess you're right. I'll see what doc is doing right now…" she trailed off. Tabitha was about to contact her best friend until she noticed that someone was trying to contact Watchtower. Without thinking, Tabitha looked over the controls herself, "You do not have clearance on this channel. Please identify yourself." she stated.

"Darling! So, you're running the show, now?"

"… Tony…?"

"Oh; sorry: Tony Stark requesting to speak with Tabitha…"

"Everything okay?"

"Just wanted to wish you a happy birthday… and invite you to a party… in your honor…"

"Wait; how did you know?"

"Come on! I'm rich and an engineer; it wasn't that hard!"

"Which explains how you tapped into this channel!"

"By the way; you might need to update your system: it was a little scary seeing how easy it was to hack into that system. Anyway; you and your friends be ready around eight or so! And let me know how many will be with you."

"Hold on; I don't wanna go…"

"See you later, darling!" Tony said and ended the transmission. Tabitha just stared at the control station.

"But… I didn't want to do anything big for my birthday…"

Tabitha invited Jamila and Wally along and the three met Tony in Las Vegas; J'onn declined the offer to go out. Tony escorted the three through a casino and they ended up in a private club.

"Okay, birthday girl: here are some chips and some money… you **have **been in a casino before, right?"

"Uhh…"

"I got it covered, Mr. Stark! I live thirty minutes away from several. Come on Tabs; let's blow some money!" Jamila said, pulling Tabitha with her. The two went towards one of the sets of slot machines, "All you gotta do is match up the images. Play all the lines; you're more likely to hit something that way!" Jamila explained. Tabitha looked at the contraption.

"Doc; this one costs twenty bucks!" her eyes widened. Jamila laughed.

"Well, of course it does! This is the 'high rollers' area; this is the cheapest one you're gonna find! Are you sure you're from Chattanooga and not from a farm somewhere?" Jamila joked. Tabitha shook her head and laughed a little.

"Look; I've never gambled before: this stuff is new to me!"

"Knowing you, you'd hit…"

After winning big on quite a few slot machines, Tabitha joined her friends on the dance floor and finally at a section closed off just for herself and her party. She was surprised to see James and just stared at him as he smiled at her.

"Tabitha…"

"I'm surprised to see you here…" she told him coldly. James sighed.

"I would've apologized but… seeing that I don't have a number or an address…"

"Don't try to sweet talk me, now. I still have a boyfriend." Tabitha tried to walk around him. James gently grabbed her arm, "Remember the last time you grabbed me like that…"

"Tabitha… I'm sorry, okay? I was pissed off. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you. I acted… childish." James explained. Tabitha sighed and looked at him.

"So… has the military duplicated the suit?"

"No. Tony didn't tell you? You were right; the suit was designed for me. On paper, the military gave Tony the Mark II suit back; but, it's my suit…" James half-smiled.

"You're telling me that…"

"They call me War Machine."

"You think you've found your calling?"

"The moonlighting gets to me at times. But… I enjoy it. Oh; and I heard what you and your boyfriend did for Tony. Pretty impressive!"

"It was nothing, really."

"Saving a man's life is nothing? I'll never understand you, Miss Lyght!" James laughed. Tabitha laughed with him.

"… It's nice to see you, James."

"Same here. Let me pour the birthday girl a drink…"


	19. Lost Part 2

Chapter Nineteen: Memories Lost, Part Two

Tabitha immediately popped up out of her sleep and gasped. She quickly looked around and was somewhat relieved that she was in her room. She turned to the left but saw that J'onn was gone. It was only a dream, she tried to convince herself. She tried to lie back down but couldn't calm herself down; she wanted to be with J'onn.

Tabitha got out of her bed and made her way to the main control room, where she knew J'onn would be over the controls. He immediately looked at her.

"Tabitha… are you okay?" he saw that she was somewhat dazed. She started to remember the dream: it was like she had never fallen asleep and there she was in the room she was in at that moment. J'onn had appeared, or so she had thought it was J'onn: he wasn't dressed in his usual. When she approached him, he had attacked her and placed her in a cell with a bald man. That man told her that he would help her escape from the "Justice Lords". He seemed really nice and friendly and she agreed to have him help her; for some reason, her powers weren't working. When the man and she tried to escape, they were attacked by "J'onn" who told Tabitha that he was not the J'onn she was used to and would kill her.

Tabitha tried to shake the whole dream out of her head and looked out into space.

"Just a… bad dream. I'm fine." she answered. While she continued to look out into space, J'onn just stared at her. He knew that the dream had still bothered her even without going through her mind. As he was about to comfort her, Tabitha suddenly burst into tears.

"Tabitha…" he immediately hugged her.

"I know that it was just a dream but… I was so scared!" she cried.

"What happened?"

"It was you… but then it wasn't. You attacked me and… and tried to kill me… it reminded me of when I was fighting your brother…" she explained. J'onn held her tighter and kissed her on the forehead.

"Oh, Tabitha! You know that I would never hurt you intentionally…"

"I know, I know. It was just… the very thought of it scared me to death. You were part of this 'Justice Lords' group…"

"The Justice Lords? You had a dream about the Justice Lords?" J'onn looked at her seriously. He wiped her tears away as she looked at him.

"You… know about them? They're real?"

"Yes. Before you joined, we had to deal with them. The Justice Lords were from an alternate dimension. They ruled their dimension with an iron fist. Their Batman found a way to come to our dimension and tried to do the same." J'onn explained. He pulled up an image of the Justice Lords on one of the screens; an article from The Daily Planet. Tabitha skimmed the article but was particularly surprised at another picture on the page.

"That man right there. He was in my dream, too. Who is that?" Tabitha pointed. For some reason, that news startled J'onn and he looked at her.

"That's Lex Luthor…"

"**That's **Lex Luthor?!"

"Did he do something to you in your dream?"

"No. Well, nothing bad. He was trying to help me escape. He was… caring and nice…"

"He's a master manipulator."

"Why would I have a dream about him and the Justice Lords?" Tabitha actually asked herself. J'onn shook his head.

"I don't know what that dream meant but he's not to be trusted, Tabitha. Let's just dismiss it as a dream for now; I'll sleep with you tonight."

"It's okay. You can get some rest; I can look over Watchtower tonight…" Tabitha looked back out into space. J'onn gently caressed her cheek.

"You shouldn't lose any sleep over this. I will never let anyone or anything hurt you ever again." J'onn told her and gave her a loving kiss. Walking by, Shayera could do nothing but smile at the sight.

"I knew it…" she whispered.

Every night however, Tabitha kept having nightmares about the Justice League, particularly the founding members. And in every one of them, Lex Luthor was there to help her. She only told J'onn of a few of the dreams; she didn't want him to worry too much about them. But, it was going on two weeks since the very first nightmare and Tabitha saw that she was losing more and more sleep. When she realized that she was so cranky that she was snapping at anyone who spoke to her, Tabitha had enough: she was going to settle this with the supposedly source.

She didn't think that it would take too long and so she left Watchtower without telling anyone. Tabitha didn't know where to start looking for Lex Luthor. If he was the criminal mastermind that Clark and J'onn said that he was, Tabitha's hunt would be very lengthy and tiresome.

Tabitha started her manhunt in Metropolis and was almost shocked as she stared at the building that was located in the middle of the city.

"Are you serious? If this is his building…" Tabitha mumbled to herself as she walked inside LexCorp. She walked up to the receptionist's desk, who gave her a warm smile.

"Welcome to LexCorp; do you have an appointment?" the woman asked. Tabitha bit her lip; for all that she knew her dreams could've been purely coincidental: he probably had no idea who she was. Maybe it was the work of the Justice Lords, trying to take revenge on the others.

"Uh… actually, I don't. I wanted to talk to Mr. Luthor, himself." Tabitha tried. She was expecting for the receptionist to immediately call security or just flat out tell her that she wouldn't let Tabitha see him without an appointment.

Tabitha was shocked yet again when the woman's smile grew.

"That accent. You wouldn't happen to be Tabitha Lyght, would you?"

"… yeah; yes…"

"Mr. Luthor's been expecting you for a while, now. I can take you up to see him." she said and walked with Tabitha to the elevators. Tabitha would've been more comfortable if she would've simply bombarded the place, threatening people until Lex showed his face! However, it did confirm her suspicions that Lex was indeed behind the reason why she was having nightmares.

The petite woman looked Tabitha over but kept her smile as they made their way to the top floor, "I've been really curious for weeks, now: what business do you have with Mr. Luthor?" she simply asked.

"I… it's really weird. I… really don't know. I mean, I know but… if I told you, you'd probably have me escorted out!"

"Hmm. Well, I was just curious because you're all he's talked about for a few weeks, now! I've never seen him this excited over anyone, especially a woman…"

"Are you saying that Mr. Luthor's…" Tabitha raised an eyebrow at her. The receptionist laughed.

"Oh, no! It's just that he always seems too… busy for a relationship. I take that back; he has a healthy relationship with his success!" the woman lightly joked which made Tabitha laugh a little. The elevator opened to a massive office with plush white carpet. In the middle of the room was an all glass desk with none other than Lex Luthor sitting behind it. He was on the phone while another woman sat patiently on the couch. The woman wore a v-cut long black dress that exposed her entire right leg. Her purple hair flowed past her hips and her eyes seemed translucent; she reminded Tabitha of a vampire, especially with the cross-like gothic brooch placed on her neck. She stood as soon as she saw Tabitha. Lex turned around and immediately smiled.

"My appointment is here." he said and hung up the phone. Had J'onn and Clark not warned her about him, Tabitha would have been highly impressed with the man. Even in her dreams, "dashing" was the word she would describe the man, especially now that they were finally face-to-face. He looked nothing like the criminal mastermind that the Justice League talked about. As he came around from his desk to greet Tabitha, other words came to mind without him saying a word: successful, charismatic, elegant… by his demeanor, there was nothing criminal about him. Then, Tabitha was reminded of the reason why she came to see him and narrowed her eyes at him, "Miss Lyght… an absolute pleasure to finally meet you." he approached her. Lex tried to grab Tabitha's hand but she backed away.

"Yeah, this is perfectly normal; a total stranger knows my last name! Turn the charm off; I just wanna know why and how you're haunting my dreams!" Tabitha stared at him. Lex only laughed and went back to his desk.

"Ha; no beating around the bush for you! I knew that I would like you from the start... my dear; it was the only way to get a meeting with you. I'm pretty sure those 'friends' of yours have filled your head with some pretty mean things about me."

"Master manipulator, criminal mastermind…" Tabitha counted on her fingers. Lex laughed and shook his head.

"Criminal mastermind? I will admit that I can be considered a mastermind! But, there's nothing criminal about me! A manipulator? Hmph; that team of yours give me too much credit… I'm actually flattered…"

"What do you want from me? Oh, wait… you think that I'm gonna reveal who Superman really is? Is that what this is all about?"

"Oh; in due time, I will find out who he really is! But, right now… this is all about you! Tell me, Miss Lyght… or would you rather be called Miss Strykher?"

"You know way too much…"

"It's not like you were trying to keep it all a secret, really! Then again, you **are **cooped up in space all the time: there was no need to try to disguise yourself, anymore. Don't you feel… underappreciated up there?"

"Every member has their purpose. We all can't save the day, you know?"

"'Save the day'? Tala, did you hear that? She thinks that the Justice League saves the day! Ha! It'll be only a matter of time before those 'superheroes' turn their backs on the rest of us. And, with their ungodly-like powers, how would we defend ourselves?"

"That's a lie. Superman, Batman, the Flash… they would never turn their back on the people they vow to protect!"

"Really? So, I'm pretty sure that no one told you about the things that have happened before you came along. I'm willing to bet that no one told you about the 'Justice Lords' visit, did they?"

"They were from an alternate reality; they don't count."

"But, you have to admit, Tabitha: it's a constant reminder of what the Justice League could be capable of. And, why would you want to be a part of something like that?"

"I've been there for two years, almost three now. I think I know what they stand for. I've heard enough; I'm going to sleep!"

"Yes, of course; go back to being a glorified super electrician!" Lex called after her. Tabitha stopped dead in her tracks.

"What the hell you just call me?"

"Tabitha, my dear: you can't tell me that you're satisfied with being the Justice League's repairwoman!"

"I'm happy with what I chose."

"Why settle for less when you can be better?" Lex asked. Tabitha eyed him.

"You asking me to leave my friends?"

"If they were true friends… would they leave you out of the action? Tabitha…" Lex got out of his seat and approached her, "If you were with me… you could do whatever you wanted to do. There wouldn't be a specific 'role' you would have to play. With my intellect and your abilities, the sky's the limit. You never stopped to wonder why the Justice League doesn't reveal their true identities to the very ones they supposedly protect? Only someone with something to hide does that." Lex explained. He gently grabbed Tabitha's hand and slowly kissed it, "And, I would make sure that you wouldn't have to hide the fact that you have super powers; I would make sure that everyone accepts you for… you. And, you would be able to do whoever…" Lex leaned in closer to Tabitha and chuckled, "I meant, whatever you wanted to. You wouldn't be stuck anywhere, not being able to leave unless given permission. We could form a partnership and run Metropolis together. Now… doesn't that sound better than being cooped up in Watchtower?" Lex began to lean in to kiss Tabitha. Part of him really did want to kiss her but the other part wanted to simply convince her to join him. He felt that he had succeeded when it looked as if she was preparing for the kiss, even gently placing her hand on his chest; he couldn't help but to smile.

Tabitha had to admit; the man definitely had charm and good looks going for him. If she wasn't with J'onn, she would have relished in the little moment. But, she was and had seen the small sneer Tala had given the two. Plus, the only thing that kept echoing through her mind were the words "master manipulator".

Tabitha did the only thing she felt was necessary in that moment and gave him a jolt that was enough to make him jump back and give her a look of surprise. She slightly smiled.

"First off… my personal space: you're invading it! Second, I'm already spoken for so you can do your panty-dropping antics on **her **instead!" Tabitha nodded towards Tala, "I may be a 'super electrician' but I'd never desert the League. Now… if you don't wanna feel what you just felt a hundred times worse, I suggest that you stay out of my head, however the hell you're doing it! Goodbye, Mr. Luthor." Tabitha said and turned to leave. Before she could reach the elevator, she felt a sharp pain that traveled from her spine to her head and immediately passed out. Tala retracted her magic and watched as Lex went over to pick Tabitha up.

"Oh, Miss Lyght; it's obvious that you don't know the difference between a request… and a demand." he smiled. He placed her in the middle of the floor and nodded at Tala. The plan was to magically brainwash Tabitha however after seeing the affection that Lex gave her, Tala had a different plan. She began a chant and a portal slowly started to open above Tabitha. Lex raised an eyebrow.

"What is this?" he asked but Tala ignored him and continued with her chant. Before he could stop her, the portal opened wide and a dark demon appeared from it. It looked down at Tabitha and screeched. Tabitha finally came to and saw the beast coming towards her. Before she could react with her lightning, it became translucent and entered her body. She screamed out in pain and curled up into a ball. Tala finished her chant as the portal closed and Lex grabbed her arm, "What did you do?!" he snarled at her. Tala slightly smiled as Tabitha slowly got up.

"Let's see how attractive she is with a demon inside of her!" she retaliated.

"You ungrateful…" Lex raised his hand to hit Tala but had a change of heart. He pushed Tala away from him and looked at Tabitha, who was still struggling to stand. She breathed heavily and let out a painful moan which slowly transformed into a growl. Tabitha finally stood and slowly stretched. She turned around to look at Lex and Tala; he noticed that her eyes were no longer brown but jet black.

"Miss Lyght?" Lex tried. Tabitha approached him and smiled.

"_**She is no longer with us!"** _she said. The Tabitha-hybrid looked over its new body, "I think I can get used to this. Mmm… the power in this body; all of this built-up rage!"

"Maybe I can help you out with… releasing some of that rage…" Lex tried. The hybrid came closer to him and smiled even wider.

"_**What can you do for me besides becoming my servant? What could you possibly offer me?"**_

"I could offer my services as your number one servant… and a complete takeover of this city…" Lex smiled. The hybrid traced his jawline and kept its smile.

_**"What about the rest of the world?"**_

"In due time but I assure you it will happen." he told the hybrid. Tala gathered up all of her mystical powers and was about to attack until the hybrid immediately shocked her. Tala fell to the floor and Lex looked down at her, "Looks like your plan backfired…"

"_**Enough taunting; you will show me you deserve to be my main servant!"** _the hybrid demanded and led Lex away. He couldn't hide his smile.

"As you wish…"

J'onn was beyond worried and was curious as to why no one else seemed to have paid any attention: he had not seen Tabitha for a few days. Using his telepathy proved worthless and that worried him the most. It was one thing if her mind was blank but it seemed as if he was being blocked completely. J'onn decided to ask around first and then go look for her.

"Jamila…"

"Oh; hi, J'onn!"

"Were you busy?"

"Between classes right now. What's up; you sound worried…"

"It's that obvious? Tabitha isn't with you, is she?"

"Tabs? No; the last time I saw her was in Vegas. Wait… she's gone missing?"

"I… I don't know for sure. She left without telling anyone. I don't want to jump to conclusions just yet; she might have gone to visit her family."

"Well, I hope you're right. If she turns up here, I'll let you know immediately. Let me know if you find her."

"Thank you, Jamila. I certainly will." J'onn ended transmission.

"Tabby Cat? No; she hasn't contacted me in a while…"

"My darling is missing? Do I have to come up there?!"

After it was confirmed that not even her family had seen her since her birthday, J'onn decided that the only thing left was to search her room. He gave himself access and went inside. The one thing that drew his attention was that her bed wasn't made; with Tabitha being former military, there were a few things that she liked to keep orderly: her bed being one of them. The other thing that made him worry was the pungent smell. J'onn noticed that it was coming from the scented oil jar on her nightstand and immediately grabbed it. As he was leaving Tabitha's room, he ran into Bruce.

"J'onn. Is… Tabitha okay? I haven't seen her in a while…"

"Bruce, I need this oil analyzed. Something isn't right with it. Who did you say gave this to Tabitha?"

"Ethan." Bruce told him as they made their way to the lab.

It took Bruce a few days to analyze all of the oils. He looked at the results and scratched his head.

"What is it?" J'onn asked.

"All of the oils… they're neurotoxins. Not enough to kill anyone but…"

"Enough to affect brain behavior…" J'onn realized.

"This doesn't make sense. Ethan still cares for Tabitha; why would he give her this?" Bruce asked. J'onn thought about the dreams that Tabitha had. Not once did she mention that Ethan was in any of them and it was always a Justice League member that was attacking her. The only person in her dreams that was a constant was…

"He didn't know the oils were neurotoxins."

"That means that someone gave him the oils. Who would do this?"

"Lex Luthor."

"Luthor? But… why? J'onn, what's going on?" Bruce asked him. J'onn sighed.

"She's been having weird dreams, lately; nightmares are more like it. She never mentioned Ethan in any of them… but Luthor was in every single one of them. Tabitha is in trouble."

"What would he want with Tabitha?"

"According to her dreams, I would say that he's trying to turn her against the rest of us."

"J'onn…" Bruce looked dead at him. He wanted to mention that he knew all about their relationship and knew for a fact that he wanted to go save Tabitha by himself. Bruce didn't blame him for how he felt; it was the code that he had lived by for almost his whole life, especially after becoming Batman.

But, the plan to lure Tabitha away from everyone had been articulately planned out; Lex Luthor would have done more than just smooth talk Tabitha into turning against her own friends and even her boyfriend. Because of that fact, this was the one time that even Bruce had to admit that more help would be needed, "If Luthor went through this much trouble to get Tabitha, a lot of backup may be needed to get her back." he decided not to mention their relationship. J'onn thought about it for a while and then sighed.

"You're right. I don't want the entire League involved; just the people that she really cares about."

"Diana's already on a mission; I'll get Wally." Bruce started to leave the lab.

"Get in contact with Dr. Lindsey; her brother's wife would be very helpful." J'onn told him. Bruce nodded and left. J'onn didn't want to waste any time; he immediately transported to New York.

J'onn found Peter in no time, roaming the streets as Spider-Man. He looked at J'onn.

"J'onn! Something's happened to Tabby, hasn't it?" he asked. J'onn slowly nodded.

"I've never gone outside Justice League for help but this is dire. I think Tabitha has been brainwashed. I'm going to need all the help that I can get from the ones she calls her friends."

"Count me in; whatever it takes to save her. How bad off is she?" Peter asked. J'onn only shook his head.

"I… don't know. I'm assuming pretty bad if she's actually blocking my telepathy."

"… Wow! Well, then what are we waiting for; let's go save her!"

J'onn contacted Tony Stark and the group searched for Tabitha in Metropolis; the group thought that it would be very possible that she would be there. After their search came up empty-handed, Bruce got word from his new sidekick, Dick Grayson who went by Robin, that there had been reports of Lex Luthor buying up property in Gotham City. The group made their way there.

"He's bought up five properties so far. Robin's giving me the coordinates right now." Bruce told the others.

"We'll need to split up, then." Tony said.

"I'm with J'onn." Peter volunteered.

"No. I'll go on my own. You can go with Bruce." J'onn told Peter.

"Wait. I just thought of something: if Tabitha was simply being brainwashed, wouldn't you think that a few Justice League members' identities would've been compromised?" Ashley asked.

"She's right. One of the coordinates would've been on one of your properties." Wally said to Bruce, "This may have gone a little beyond simple brainwashing, then."

"It could be possible… we might have to fight her. Everyone has to be prepared for that…" Peter told everyone. J'onn slightly held his head down; he was not prepared for it at all. The only thing he thought about was saving the one he cared the most about. It never dawned on him for even a second that he would have to fight her.

"We'll have to keep each other updated." J'onn said and the group separated. He was convinced that Wally was right: this was more than just simple brainwashing. Something had gone terribly wrong with Tabitha.

J'onn's coordinates led him to an abandoned warehouse. When he saw that there were actual guards, he immediately contacted the others. It took the others a few moments to get to the location.

"For something that's abandoned, it sure has a lot of guards…" Wally pointed out.

"Exactly. Wally and I got the guards in the front." Bruce said and left.

"I'll go around back and see if there are any guards there." Ashley said and went around the back.

"I'll check the scene out from the top." Peter said.

"That leaves me and you to raise hell from the inside!" Tony said to J'onn. As soon as Bruce and Wally took care of the guards in the front, J'onn and Tony went inside and took care of the people in the surrounding area, "Now… do you want to do things nicely or go all hard-assed?"

"I'm really not in the mood to play nice…" J'onn spotted movement in the rear of the warehouse.

"My thoughts exactly! Let's go get our darling back… uh… I meant, **your **darling!" Tony said when J'onn looked at him. The two went towards the back of the warehouse and saw Lex. J'onn immediately grabbed him and lifted him off his feet.

"Where's Tabitha?" he glared at him. Before Lex could respond, J'onn was hit with a powerful surge that pushed him back a few feet. When he looked up, he saw that Lex was joined by Tabitha. Her snow-white hair flowed around her face and she wore a red revealing shirt with a black skirt and red high-heeled ankle boots.

"… Tabby?!" Wally asked as the others had joined J'onn and Tony. Tabitha slowly walked towards the group.

"_**These are the ones you spoke of?"** _she asked Lex. He lovingly looked at her.

"Yes, my love." he said. Wally looked at him surprisingly.

"Um… who brainwashed who here?" he asked. Tabitha immediately threw lightning at him.

"Tabby!" Peter went to check on Wally. J'onn looked at her.

"… That's not Tabitha. Flash was right; she's been more than brainwashed: she's possessed." he looked into her black eyes. She smiled devilishly at him.

"**_Oh, he's a smart one!"_ **she said and immediately slammed J'onn into a wall a few feet away, _**"Hmm. I sense that this human has some sort of special bond with you… which is why I think I'll kill you first!**_" the Tabitha-hybrid said and started charging up. She sent painful waves after waves of electricity while she had J'onn pinned to the wall by his throat.

"_Tabitha… please… snap out of it…_" J'onn tried. The hybrid stopped its attack on J'onn and looked at him.

"_**Ah; so it was you who tried to mess with my head! The one you call Tabitha is long gone! She didn't know how to use these powers… and this body to her advantage! Tell me: how does it feel to know that the very one you love would be the one who kills you?"** _it asked J'onn.

"What's wrong with him; why isn't he attacking her?" Tony asked. Ashley looked around for water.

"Because he loves her…" she said and threw a water ball at the hybrid. Ashley formed the ball into ice, "I'm sorry, Tabitha. J'onn; are you okay?" Ashley asked, going towards him.

"I'm fine."

"That should hold her until we get to Watchtower. Now, we take care of 'lover boy'…" Bruce looked towards Lex. The group started towards him until they all heard a cracking sound from the ice bubble. Lightning was seen from the inside and cracks started to appear all around the orb.

"No way…" Peter shook his head. Seconds later, the hybrid broke free of the ice and sneered at Ashley.

"_**Looks like the Martian will have to wait to die first…"** _it came after Ashley. Before it could throw lightning at her, Peter swung by and threw a series of webs at its hands. Electric currents formed around the webs and disintegrated them. The hybrid threw lightning at Peter, hitting him on his shoulder.

"This is no good. What do we do?" Wally asked.

"… we hit her all at once. We gang up on her… and show no mercy…" Bruce looked at J'onn, "Reign; take care of Luthor: make sure he doesn't get in the way."

"On it!" Ashley said and went towards Lex. He tried to run away but Ashley threw water at him as hard as she could, which slammed him into a wall. She formed an ice barrier around his lower body and wrists, pinning him to the wall.

"I'll freeze to death…" he looked at Ashley.

"Good! It serves you right for what you did to Tabitha!"

"I've done nothing to her!"

"He's telling the truth… somewhat…" Tala said, coming from around the corner. Ashley looked at her.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

"She's the one who possessed her with the demon." Lex answered. Ashley raised an eyebrow.

"Why would you do something like that?!"

"He was flirting with her; I wanted to pay him back."

"And, as you can see, it backfired! I **still **got what I wanted and even more! With that demon inside of her, Tabitha has realized her full potential!" Lex gloated. Ashley turned to look at the ongoing battle between Tabitha and the others. The group went on an all-out assault but it only slowed the hybrid down. As Wally was using his speed to deliver punches, the hybrid grabbed a hold of his shoulder and released as much electricity as possible. It did a Lightning Cloud behind Peter, placed its hand on his back and released more lightning, "Don't you just love all that power?" Lex asked as he watched. Ashley looked at Tala.

"You did this; how do you undo it?"

"I can perform a reverse chant and place the demon in a container. Seeing as though this didn't plan out the way I wanted it to, I'll do it." Tala told her. She began to do a chant that grabbed the hybrid's attention.

"Oh, no you don't…" it said and threw lightning at Tala, knocking her out. Lex looked at her and smirked.

"The price you pay for jealousy…" he shook his head. Ashley whipped a string of water towards the hybrid, hitting it on its side.

"Thank you, Ashley…" Bruce mumbled and attacked the hybrid from behind. Tony joined him and gave the hybrid a fierce uppercut. It fell to its hands and knees as J'onn made his way towards it. Before he was about to attack, it started convulsing a bit. After a few moments, it started to hyperventilate, looking around the room.

"P? W-wally?" Tabitha breathed.

"… Tabitha…" Bruce approached her. Her eyes were no longer black but back to her brown.

"G-guys… what…"

"Wow. I guess beating the demon out of her was the answer all along!" Tony half-smiled. Tabitha started to shake.

"N-no. It's-it's still… here. Please… guys… g-get it… out! H-he-help m…" Tabitha tried. J'onn put his arm around her shoulders.

"Tabitha; we're all here to help…" he told her. She started to convulse again and her brown eyes changed back to black.

"_**That bitch isn't getting this body back!"** _the hybrid yelled. It charged up with all its might and hit J'onn with its lightning. Without thinking, he grabbed the Tabitha-hybrid and threw her across the room into a wall.

"Bring Tabitha back!" he demanded. The hybrid got up and laughed.

"_**It's about time you fought back! Why? I love this body; I love all the power she has! I'll devour every inch of her soul until this body is completely mine!"**_ it declared. J'onn slammed the hybrid back into the wall by its throat.

"If you hurt her in any kind of way…"

"_**It's too late; she's already suffering more and more by the second!"** _it said. Bruce, Wally, Ashley and Peter came towards the two. The hybrid lifted its hands out and delivered a series of lightning bolts, hitting all four. J'onn grabbed its wrists and slammed them on the wall.

"Stop it! Give… her… back…" he almost growled. The hybrid smiled, charged up and filled the room with electricity, throwing J'onn a few feet away.

"_**Or what, Martian? You're going to kill me? You don't have it in you! You're weakened by love and kindness!"**_ it laughed, "_**And your weakness is the very thing that is going to kill this human!"**_ it said. Before it could make a move towards J'onn, Tony jumped behind it. He threw his hand out.

"It's a good thing I don't have a heart, anymore…" he said and released his proton beam. It slammed the hybrid into another wall, eating away the drywall. It started convulsing yet again and J'onn ran over to it. He held the hybrid in his arms and saw that it blinked its eyes a few times, transitioning from its jet black to Tabitha's light brown eyes. She took short, shallow breaths and shook.

"J-J-J'onn…"

"… Tabitha…" he held on tight to her. Tears formed in Tabitha's eyes and a few rolled down her cheeks.

"It-it-it won't… s-s-st-op… hur-hurting m-m-me…" she shook even more.

"We're going to save you, Tabitha; I promise…" J'onn wiped her tears away. She shook her head and even more tears came out.

"J'onn…. k-kill… me…"

"… What? Tabitha… no…"

"It's… t-t-t-the… o-only way… it'll s-s-stop…" she tried but J'onn hugged her.

"No. I won't kill you, Tabitha! You can forget it; that's **not **an option!" he held in as much emotion as he possibly could. J'onn made Tabitha look at her, "I watched my wife die; I refuse to watch you die…" he told her. Tabitha started sobbing. Tony placed a hand on J'onn's shoulder.

"J'onn… she's suffering pretty bad, man…"

"I am not going to kill her!"

"It hurts… it h-h-hurts so… b-b-bad…" Tabitha cried. J'onn didn't know what to do. He held in his own tears as he wiped hers away and gently kissed her on her forehead. He didn't want to lose her, not like this. And, it was killing him to see Tabitha suffer as much as she was at that moment. It made another emotion surface that he never thought would: anger. He wanted that demon out of Tabitha at any cost… and suddenly came up with an idea.

"Tabitha… listen to me: I won't let that demon kill you. I'm… taking that demon out of you, myself. Tabitha… this is going to hurt… a lot. But, I need for you to hang in there, okay?" he looked deep into her eyes. Tabitha was in so much pain, the only thing she could do was continue to cry and nod her head. J'onn took a deep breath, became transparent and went inside Tabitha's body. The group watched as Tabitha trembled a bit, gasping and immediately curled into a ball. She let out a blood-curdling wail and thrashed about the floor.

"What is he doing?! He's going to kill her! Let me go!" Lex yelled to no one in particular. Tala finally regained enough strength to get up.

"He's exorcising the demon out. She's dead, either way…" she told him.

"Why would you say that?!"

"There are two ways to get the demon out: exorcism or a reverse chant. I can't perform the chant while he's in there with the demon. And only an actual priest is allowed to perform an exorcism." Tala explained. She grabbed a copper container and approached the group watching Tabitha. Bruce looked at her and then at the container.

"What's that for?"

"To seal the demon away… just in case he's successful in chasing it out. This jar has the Seal of Solomon; a symbol to contain any and all demons." she explained. The group continued to watch in horror as Tabitha's screams became louder and shriller.

"There's nothing we can do for her… can we?" Wally asked Tony. He slowly shook his head.

"It just has to run its course. Trust me; this is hurting J'onn way more than it's hurting darling." he told him. Suddenly Tabitha stopped screaming and began to gasp, as if she was trying to catch her breath. She was lifted a few feet in the air as J'onn separated himself from her. He began pulling the demon out of Tabitha as it shrieked. He grabbed a hold of its head tightly and pulled one last time, getting the demon fully out of Tabitha. Her body grew limp and she fell to the ground with a loud thud. J'onn helped Tala place the demon inside the jar and she sealed it.

"J'onn! Are you okay?" Peter asked. J'onn sighed wearily and nodded.

"Tabitha!" Wally ran up to her body. Bruce and the others ran over as well. Bruce checked her pulse and looked over at J'onn.

"… There's no pulse…" he said. J'onn ran over and immediately scooped her up into his arms.

"Tabitha…"

"She's not breathing. J'onn, she's not breathing…" Ashley panicked. J'onn put her down.

"No… Tabitha… I'm sorry... I'm so sorry…" he started but immediately began CPR. After a grueling few moments, Tabitha finally gasped and her eyes popped open.

"Tabitha…" Bruce sighed. J'onn gently brushed her hair away from her forehead. She blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust. When her eyes landed on J'onn, they widened and she screamed.

"What… what's all that about?" Tony asked. Tabitha struggled to sit up and quickly scooted away from the group. J'onn followed her.

"Tabitha! Tabitha, what's wrong?"

"No, no, no, no; go away, go away!" she begged, trying to cover herself. As she was panicking, surges of electricity flowed out from her fingertips. Tabitha jumped every time the bolts hit her.

"… Tabby?" Peter asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She jerked away.

"Tabitha!" Bruce looked at her. She looked around nervously.

"W-why do I keep shocking myself? Who's… Tabitha? What do you want from me?" she nervously asked. The group looked at her in shock. Ashley looked over at Tala freeing Lex from his ice prison.

"Should we… go after them?"

"No. We have a more important problem…" J'onn stared at Tabitha.


	20. Found Part 1

Chapter Twenty: Memories Found, Part One

Jamila and Ramil stared at Tabitha through the glassed room in the infirmary. Tabitha was being looked over by one of the human medics on Watchtower.

"She looks… lost…" Jamila fought tears. Ramil slightly nodded his head.

"I don't think I could get used to seeing her like this." he added. Jamila sighed and turned away only to face J'onn.

"How is everyone else?" Jamila wanted to think about other things. J'onn slightly smiled.

"They'll be fine. We're all a little sore… and exhausted." J'onn's attention went to Tabitha. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked around. Jamila took notice and bit her lip.

"Has she spoken to you since you guys came back?"

"… She doesn't even know me anymore… she's afraid of me."

"She'll be back to normal soon enough. She'll regain her memory. Let's… go in there and talk to her. Ramil can go see Ashley." Jamila suggested. At first, J'onn shook his head but he continued to watch her. He went through her mind and it pained him that she constantly wondered who she was and why she had the powers that she had. All he wanted was for Tabitha to regain her memory; to remember who he was to her. It had been a week since the group had rescued Tabitha from the demon inside of her and she had lost all of her memory. J'onn had made up his mind to go with Jamila and attempt to talk to Tabitha.

The two approached the medic before going inside her room.

"How is she?" J'onn asked. The young woman slightly smiled.

"Her vitals are normal, actually. She didn't suffer any brain damage, which is excellent considering the ordeal she went through. She has a couple of minor bruises but they seem to be healing quickly. The only problem is that she's one hundred percent amnestic."

"There's no timetable for recovery, is there?"

"Afraid not. She could regain her memories tomorrow or a year from now; and it's not even guaranteed that she will regain all of her memories! I'm just happy that she learned how to calm down so that her abilities wouldn't go berserk on her!" the medic told Jamila. She nodded.

"Can we see her?"

"Of course!" the medic opened the door for the two. Tabitha looked up and saw Jamila and J'onn walk inside. She immediately got on her bed and scooted towards the head of the bed. Jamila approached her and sat on the bed.

"Oh, honey; no, it's okay!" Jamila tried. Tabitha switched glances from J'onn and back to Jamila. She leaned towards Jamila.

"Why is he always trying to be around me? Does he want to hurt me?" she whispered. Jamila laughed.

"Oh; no! He's one of the good guys! He's only concerned for you, just like the rest of us. I'm Jamila."

"That's pretty. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why… do I feel so comfortable around you?"

"I guess… it's because I'm your best friend."

"Oh. I'm… I'm sorry that I can't remember…"

"It's okay; it's not your fault."

"But, I know that you're upset with me because we're best friends and I can't even remember that. Do you… have powers, too?" Tabitha asked. Jamila shook her head.

"No. I'm just a plain, ordinary human…"

"… She's underestimating herself, Tabitha." J'onn decided to speak to her. Tabitha could only glance at him and then at the floor.

"He… he talks…"

"Of course, he does! He's Martian, not a robot! Okay… wrong analogy but I hope you get it!" Jamila laughed.

"I'm sorry… what's your name?" Tabitha finally looked fully at him.

"J'onn."

"J'onn. Not what I had expected for your name to be! I didn't mean to offend you. Hmm… J'onn… and Jamila… that's pretty cute." Tabitha slowly smiled at Jamila. She gave her a puzzled look until J'onn's eyes widened and laughed a little.

"She thinks we're a couple…" he told Jamila. She widened her eyes and looked at Tabitha.

"What?! No!"

"Wait… how did he know what I was thinking? He can read minds?"

"Yeah, among a lot of other things. But, no sweetheart; we're not the couple… you two are." Jamila tried to explain. Tabitha gave her a shocked look as J'onn looked at her.

"You knew?"

"Duh; best friend: she tells me everything!"

"Wait… J'onn is **my **boyfriend?!"

"Yeah. But, no one else knows except me. That's why he's always wanting to be around you especially since you've lost all of your memory. You said you felt comfortable around me. You don't feel anything at all around him?" Jamila asked. Tabitha looked at J'onn, carefully studying him.

"A… little sense of… authority. You're in charge around here, aren't you?"

"I… don't consider myself in total charge around here. Leadership is shared with me and six others. Maybe if we walked around a bit, it could trigger something for you?" J'onn asked. Tabitha looked at Jamila who slowly nodded.

"I think that's a great idea." Jamila smiled.

The three went through almost an entire wing of Watchtower but nothing triggered Tabitha's memory. When they came to the hallway, Tabitha stopped and looked outside.

"Oh, wow…" she said and went towards the glass, "Are we in space? Cool!" she smiled a little. As Tabitha looked out in space, Bruce and Wally approached J'onn and Jamila. Jamila slightly smiled at the two.

"Mr. Wayne, Wally; good to see you two on your feet!" Jamila said.

"It's good to be back. How is she?" Bruce asked and looked at Tabitha.

"Besides the memory loss, she's healthy." Jamila said.

"So, she still doesn't remember anything?"

"Nothing. She has a little sense of things; she had this sense of comfort with me." Jamila told Bruce. Wally approached Tabitha and looked into space with her.

"Pretty neat, huh?"

"Yeah…" she said. Tabitha looked at him and stuck her hand out, "I'm Tabitha." she introduced. Wally only smiled and shook her hand.

"Wally."

"You… probably already knew who I was, huh?" she asked. He nodded, "I must be pretty important; everyone seems to know me around here."

"Well… you've been here for almost three years, now but every day you do something that impresses everyone. The Martian? He's pretty much top notch here. But, you've beaten him in chess **and **training!" Wally explained. Tabitha looked over at J'onn.

"Really?! Whoa…"

"Have you met the man with the S on his chest?" Wally asked. Tabitha nodded, "That cape he wears… you've made it indestructible. You've even beaten me quite a few times racing and I'm the fastest man alive!" Wally said. Tabitha let out a laugh, "What's so funny?"

"The fastest man alive? I wouldn't brag **too **much about that…" she said. Bruce and Jamila laughed as Wally shook his head.

"I believe she was referring to…"

"I **know **what she was referring to, J'onn!"

"I'm sorry…" Tabitha tried not to laugh. Wally sighed.

"It's okay; I get that all the time…

"Wally… you weren't just making that stuff up, were you? You know; just to make me feel better?"

"No way! You're one of the best members we got! To be honest… you're the most important one!"

"How is that?"

"You're the reason Watchtower itself functions right. We used to have non-superhero guys come here and do the repairs, maintain Watchtower and all that. But when you came along… you replaced all of them." Wally smiled.

"Whoa! How many people did I replace?"

"Roughly fifteen." J'onn said. Tabitha simply shook her head.

"Unbelievable…" she said and dwelled on that thought. Tabitha looked back outside, "Um… are we going to continue the tour or… can I stay here for a moment?"

"Whatever you want to do, Tabitha." J'onn said. Tabitha faced the group.

"I want to stay here for a while…"

"Do you want to be alone?" Bruce asked. Tabitha immediately shook her head.

"If you don't mind… I'm starting to get really comfortable around you guys. You seem to be the ones who know me the best… and I have a lot of questions!"

The group stayed there and chatted for quite some time, however, Tabitha was the dominant listener. She was glad that the conversations weren't mostly about her but more about them.

After completing the tour of most of Watchtower, J'onn escorted Tabitha back to the infirmary.

"If anything… I hope you enjoyed yourself."

"I did. Thank you. J'onn… do I **have **to go back in there?"

"Oh. Is there anywhere else you'll like to go? I sensed that you were tired so…"

"Oh, I'm exhausted! But… I don't like being in there, anymore. You said that I have my own room here; can I go there?"

"Whatever you like." J'onn said and escorted her to her room. The two stopped in front of her door, "If you like, I can check on you in the morning."

"No. I… can you stay the night with me?" Tabitha looked at J'onn. Her question shocked him as well as warmed him a bit. J'onn was actually at a loss for words.

"Is… that what you want?" he finally found the words to say. Tabitha shrugged a little.

"The woman with the dreads… Jamila. I mean, she said that you're my boyfriend. So, I figured… it's what we usually do… right? I… I would rather for you to… well, not **do **what we would normally do but… um, wait… this is coming out all wrong…" Tabitha tried to explain. J'onn couldn't help but to laugh.

"I'll stay as long as you want me to." he said and the two went inside. Tabitha looked around the room for some sort of sense of familiarity but couldn't find any. The bed wasn't made but everything else in the room looked in place. Tabitha had a feeling that her former self was somewhat of a neat freak and that something extreme was on her mind that made her leave without making her bed. She turned around and looked at J'onn.

"How… how long have we been dating?" she wanted to know. She remembered that Jamila said that no one else knew so Tabitha figured that the best time to ask would be in private.

"A little over a year."

"And no one else knows?! I guess… this is something that we really **don't **do often…"

"I'm sorry. But… that doesn't mean that I don't care for you."

"I feel that, now. I don't know if I understood why we're keeping our relationship a secret before… but I do, now. J'onn… thank you so much for staying with me."

"… Anything for you…"

For the first time since they began to date, J'onn stayed in Tabitha's room for the remainder of the night. It gave him a lot of time to think about their relationship and it made him feel a little bad; they had slept together numerous times but he always left before she would wake up. He had plenty of time to think as she rested and slept on his chest.

Three weeks had gone by since Tabitha had suffered complete memory loss and she was just as frustrated as the others who she had learned were her friends. After countless tours and stories, the only thing that Tabitha knew were the stories that others told her; she had no spark of memory whatsoever. Not only did Tabitha still not know of her former life, she had no idea how she would be able to use her abilities like she used to. Without full control of her powers, Tabitha felt useless.

J'onn was at wit's end as to how to get the old Tabitha back. He knew not to rush her into remembering things. But, it had been a month since her incident and she was still clueless about her life before. J'onn constantly blamed himself for her accident; had it not been for him, there could've been a possibility that the demon could be removed by other means. He knew that what he had done would be highly risky, especially for it being done to a human. But, he thought that the excruciating pain would only make her pass out, not die from it.

J'onn secretly watched as Tabitha went through another CAT scan in the infirmary. He had made up his mind a while back that it was up to him to make sure that Tabitha regained her memories. But, what could he possibly do? J'onn thought of two possibilities. One: he could simply kiss her. It was only in theory, but it could be possible that what Tabitha needed to trigger her memory was something that she was used to in the past. When she was attacked by Ma'alefa'ak, Tabitha told J'onn that the only reason why she knew it wasn't him was because the kiss was different.

However, J'onn knew that Tabitha was not **that **comfortable with him, yet. It could be possible that J'onn would have to kiss Tabitha in public, which meant that he would have to reveal their relationship to the rest of the Justice League. He didn't know if everyone else would be ready for that news.

Another option finally came to him: J'onn could use one of his abilities to make Tabitha remember. How come he didn't think of it earlier? He could manipulate anyone's mind into seeing, hearing and thinking whatever **he **wanted them to believe; he could very well make Tabitha remember everything about her life. Looking at the lost look in her eyes had taken its toll on both of them; the only thing he wanted was to see her as her normal self.

J'onn had made up his mind and was about to go inside the room to get it over with until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked at Shayera.

"How are you holding up, J'onn?" she surprised him. He was used to people asking him about Tabitha but not about himself.

"What?"

"You can try to hide it all you want but… you look as tired as she looks lost. What were you thinking about?" she simply asked. It was the way that she approached him that made J'onn want to break down and tell her everything: how much in love he really was with Tabitha, how watching her struggle made his heart ache and especially that he constantly blamed himself for everything she was suffering with.

"I… need to help her. It's all my fault…"

"You did what you thought was the right thing. For as long as I've known you, that is the one thing I know for certain that you'll do. There's not much anyone can do for her right now." Shayera told him. J'onn only looked at Tabitha as she finally noticed that the two were there and she slightly waved at them.

"… I can make her remember…"

"Don't do that. It won't solve anything. If you plant her memories back in her, they'll be fake."

"I know everything about her; how would they be fake?"

"Wrong choice of words! Those would be… manufactured memories. It wouldn't be natural. J'onn… if you truly love her, you will let her regain her memory on her own…" she shocked J'onn. He gave her a surprised look and Shayera laughed a little, "I've seen how you two look at each other when you both think no one's looking… as well as a kiss or four!"

"Who else knows? Have I tried to hide this in vain?" J'onn looked back at Tabitha.

"As far as I know… just me. Don't worry; I won't spill the beans! But, seriously: just let it run its course. She'll remember soon enough."

J'onn and Tabitha were on one of their normal walks around Watchtower. While they were both upset that Tabitha still couldn't remember anything, it made him happy that she walked closer and closer to him with each walk. The thought of him as her boyfriend was still a little weird to her but the more time they spent together, the more she saw how well-matched they actually were. It started to make sense to her: the Monitor of Watchtower dating the one who made sure that Watchtower functioned.

"So, where are we going today?"

"I just wanted to show you the storage area." J'onn told her as he entered the security code. Tabitha looked at him strangely.

"A security code for a storage area? Must be something really important in here…"

"Just a few items the Justice League has confiscated from our many missions." J'onn told her as the door opened. Tabitha looked in amazement.

"Wow…" she said as she looked at the numerous items. The one that really grabbed her attention was the Annihilator battle suit. Tabitha marveled at the battle suit but then turned to face J'onn, "Is this room supposed to bring some type of memory back for me?"

"Actually… no. All of these items were confiscated before you joined… except for this…" J'onn motioned towards a shelf to his left. Tabitha looked at the antique copper container.

"This looks like some old box; what is it?"

"The actual container isn't important…"

"_**The Martian's right, Tabitha… I'm so glad you came to visit me…"**_the container hissed. Tabitha hid behind J'onn.

"Oooh; a talking box: I think I've seen it all, now…" she said. J'onn narrowed his eyes at the box.

"You can't hurt her, anymore; there's no escaping for you…"

_**"Are you sure about that? Tabitha… release me…"**_

"Don't listen to it, Tabitha!"

"W-what is it?"

"A demon that possessed you."

"Something evil…"

"Yes."

_**"Oh, Tabitha; don't let him fool you! He's the reason why you lost your memory…"**_

"… I may have lost my memory but I can tell that you're lying…" Tabitha slowly said.

_**"Ask him; who was it that extracted me? Did he think that he was only extracting me and not something that was a part of you?"**_ it asked. J'onn stepped closer to the box.

"You… you're the real reason why she can't remember anything?!" J'onn fumed. The demon laughed.

_**"All he had to do, Tabitha, was leave us alone. We would've been just fine. But, now… all of your memories are with me!"**_

"How do I get my memories back?" Tabitha asked, stepping closer to the box.

"Tabitha; no!"

"_**It's quite simple. You only have to release a portion of me and let that piece merge with you. Your memories will be restored…"**_it explained. Tabitha immediately looked at J'onn.

"J'onn… it's only asking for me to take a piece of it…"

"Tabitha, it's a trap! Don't listen to it!"

_**"I'll even throw in some immortality. Tabitha… you'll have all of your cherished memories back and will live longer than the Martian…"**_ it tried to bargain. J'onn shook his head.

"I wish you could remember, Tabitha. All the pain that it caused you because it was trying to take your soul away. Tabitha, look at me…" J'onn grabbed Tabitha by her shoulders, "I know that you were afraid of me at first but I can tell that you've gotten over it, now. Do you trust me?" he asked. Tabitha just looked at him and slowly nodded.

"Yes. I do."

"Do not listen to that demon. It only wants to abuse your powers. You were in so much pain that… you wanted me to kill you…" J'onn explained.

"Someone has to be in a lot of pain to ask for death…"

"Tabitha, I promise you: we will find a way to get your memory back." J'onn pleaded. Tabitha nodded at J'onn and looked back at the box.

"I'm sorry, talking-demon-box; I'm not letting you out…"

"_**Then, I hope you enjoy living without your memories for the rest of your life!"**_ it hissed. J'onn led Tabitha away from the container and out of the vault.

"I'm sorry, Tabitha. I'll lock that box away for good!"

Tabitha had come to her decision and knew that it wasn't going to be an easy task. She asked for J'onn to gather everyone, including Jamila so that no one would be left out. The only room large enough to hold everyone was the main control room. Tabitha looked at everyone and wondered why she had an urge to cry. She held back her tears.

"I, um… I wanted to thank everybody for trying to help me remember everything. I'm so sorry that it's taking so long, still…" she started to explain.

"Tabitha, we completely understand. It's okay…" Diana said.

"No. It's not. After hearing about everything that I've done around here, I feel… I don't know. Useless, I guess. And… I know that I'll never get my memory back. So… I've made the decision to… to leave. I just… wanted to tell everyone goodbye."

"Wait… what?!" Wally looked at Tabitha.

"Tabs…" Jamila said. J'onn kept all of his emotions at bay although he looked at her in shock along with the others. Tabitha approached J'onn.

"J'onn… I'm announcing my resignation from the Justice League…"

"Tabitha; you don't have to do this…"

"I'm so sorry, J'onn. Without knowing how to use my powers… I don't belong here. You guys are really great people… and I appreciated everything that you've done to try to make me feel at home..."

"Wait, wait, wait; how do you know you're not getting your memories back?" Jamila asked. Tabitha sighed.

"I saw the box that the demon is in. It told me that when J'onn got rid of it… it took my memory."

"In order to get your memory back, it has to be released…" Bruce realized. Tabitha nodded.

"Well… at least we'll be able to visit you at doc's place…" Wally started but Tabitha shook her head.

"I… wouldn't feel comfortable living there right now. It's nothing against Jamila but I don't want to feel like a burden…"

"Tabitha…" Jamila's tears now flowed down to her cheeks, "You were never a burden, ever! I took you in when I knew jack about you; I'll be more than glad to take you in, now!" she cried. Tabitha didn't know why seeing Jamila cry made her own tears finally appear.

"I'm sorry, Jamila…"

"No; stop calling me that! It's doc; for as long as I've known you, it's always been doc!"

"Jamila…" Bruce tried to calm her down but Jamila snatched away from him.

"She **has **to remember! How will she know if we don't constantly tell her?! Tabs, you can't just quit; we're trying to help you!"

"There isn't anything anyone can do. Without that demon inside of me… my memories are gone. What good is a superhero without their superpowers, anyway? I can't stay here." Tabitha said, wiping her eyes. Jamila wanted to tell her about how her decision was affecting J'onn and how unfair it was to him. How could she do this to J'onn, she franticly thought. J'onn had read Jamila's mind.

"_Jamila… this isn't about me. I don't like this as much as you do, believe me. I don't want her to leave. But, in her mind, we're still complete strangers to her, especially me. She's not doing this to hurt anyone. _Jamila… we have to let her go." J'onn told her. Jamila shot a look at him.

"No! How can you be so calm about all this?! How can any of you let her leave like this?!"

"She's not a child, Jamila. If this is what she wants… we have to respect it." Bruce told her. Jamila suddenly hugged Tabitha, crying even more.

"At least go to your parents' house! Tell me you'll at least do that!"

"I… don't want to go somewhere where I'll be babied all the time. I'm so sorry, Jamila…" Tabitha managed. Wally approached the two and grabbed Jamila's shoulders but she pushed him away and ran off, crying. Tabitha wiped at her tears, again, "Why am I crying?"

"Because she's your best friend and we're like your second family. Are you sure you don't want to change your mind?" Wally asked. Tabitha slightly shook her head.

"Maybe when I feel more comfortable with my abilities, I can come back. Right now…" Tabitha started but was interrupted by a sharp blow to the head. The metal rod dropped out of Jamila's hands and landed on the floor with a loud clang. She looked at Tabitha with fresh tears in her eyes.

"Jamila!" Diana, along with the rest of the members looked at her in shock.

"That… that always works in the movies…" she cried. Before anyone could apprehend her, Tabitha slowly got up from the ground, rubbing the back of her head. She turned and looked at Jamila.

"Gaddamnit, doc; what the hell was that for?!" Tabitha yelled. Jamila sobbed franticly.

"I'm sorry; I'm so sorry, Tabs! I didn't know what else to do! You were leaving us for no… did you just call me doc?"

"You better be glad that's the **only **thing I called you! I don't know what the hell is wrong with you…wait…" Tabitha approached Jamila. She stared at her wide eyed and grabbed her by the shoulders, "Doc!"

"Holy shit… it actually worked…" Jamila mused and hugged Tabitha with all of her might. Tabitha looked around the room.

"Diana, Wally, Bruce, John, Clark… J'onn, Shayera… I remember, now…" she smiled at everyone.

"So, I'm guessing that the demon lied…" Wally said. Bruce slightly nodded.

"It makes sense. All it wanted to do was escape… by any means necessary…"

Tabitha let J'onn inside her room and was immediately embraced. The two shared a long, passionate kiss. J'onn cupped her face and looked into her eyes.

"I'm so sorry; I never meant to…" he tried but Tabitha shook her head.

"It's okay; you did what you had to do to get that demon out of me. You didn't know that it would kill me. I shouldn't have left without telling someone…" Tabitha said. J'onn wanted to agree with her but he knew that it wasn't the right time to do so. He was just happy that she was back to normal and safe in his arms.

He had to be honest with himself; it really wasn't her fault. All she wanted were answers from Lex. After all, it was him who decided to go through with his elaborate scheme to get her attention. And, Ashley had reported that it was actually Tala who conjured up the demon in the first place; apparently, that wasn't part of his plan.

It angered him again to think that the two caused so much pain to Tabitha. The two forced the Justice League to fight one of their own. And, then Tabitha had been in so much pain that she had wished for death. She was willing to sacrifice herself so that the demon would no longer hurt the others as well as herself. J'onn could've handled it if Luther would have simply kidnapped Tabitha but putting her through that much pain was unforgivable.

Before Tabitha knew it, J'onn had let go of her and started to leave.

"… J'onn?" she followed him. What just happened, she asked herself. Was he upset that she had left without telling anyone? Tabitha continued to follow him to the main control room, "J'onn!"

"I just want to have a talk with Luthor…" he said without looking at her. But, Tabitha didn't like the way he said it. She did a Lightning Cloud and was facing him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Then, you won't mind me coming with you. And, let me remind you that I can do Lightning Cloud all day if need be…" she eyed him. J'onn sighed.

"Let's go."

The two looked for Lex Luthor in Metropolis first, at his LexCorp building. J'onn shape shifted to human form as the two entered the building. The receptionist from before gave Tabitha a warm smile.

"Miss Lyght! Mr. Luthor has been worried sick about you!" she said. Tabitha rolled her eyes a little.

"I just bet… is he here?"

"Yes. You know where his office is." she pointed towards the elevator. Tabitha nodded as the two went towards the elevators. Once the doors closed, J'onn shape shifted back to his normal self. Tabitha stared at him, wishing that she could read minds as well; he was awfully silent.

"You **don't **want to know what I'm thinking right now!"

"J'onn… I got a bad feeling that…" Tabitha was about to mention until the elevator stopped on the eighth floor. The doors opened and the two were looking at Tala. Without warning, J'onn grabbed her by the neck and pushed her to one of the hallway walls, lifting her off her feet. Tabitha quickly approached them, "J'onn; no!"

"You possessed Tabitha with that demon!" he snarled at her and squeezed tighter around her neck. Tala coughed and tried desperately to breathe.

"J'onn, don't do this! She's not worth it!"

"It's because of her…"

"There's other ways we can do this!"

"I want her to feel what you went through!" he glared at Tala.

"J'onn… if you kill her… I'll leave Justice League…" Tabitha stood her ground. He released a little bit of pressure from Tala's neck and looked back at her.

"… Tabitha…" he glared back at Tala, "If she hadn't summoned that demon, you would've been fine!"

"I know this, J'onn. And I know that she needs to pay for what she's done. But… not like this. J'onn, this isn't the Justice League way and you know it: this isn't **your **way!" Tabitha tried. Tala made her magic form around her hands but J'onn squeezed her neck even harder. Tabitha looked at her wide-eyed, "Really? You're gonna try that **knowing **he wants to kill you? You know what? J'onn… I don't care if you kill her or not! Just know that killing her won't change the fact of what she did to me." Tabitha looked at J'onn. J'onn continued to glare at Tala for a while, actually debating to just get it over with and snap her neck. But, he thought about what Tabitha had said and knew that she was right: killing anyone wouldn't change what was done or make it easier to accept. J'onn also couldn't risk Tabitha leaving Justice League… as well as leaving him. He eventually released Tala, dropping her on the ground. She grabbed her neck and coughed. Tabitha looked down at her, "You should thank me. The next time he loses it, I won't be able to stop him…" she said and the two went back on the elevator. J'onn sighed heavily and looked at Tabitha.

"Tabitha… I'm sorry…"

"I don't know whether I should say that it's okay or not; just know that I understand. J'onn… I need to handle Luthor by myself…"

"That's not happening…" J'onn shook his head. Tabitha sighed.

"J'onn; he sees you and all hell will break loose…"

"Fine. But, I **will **be nearby." he said and made himself transparent. The elevator doors opened and Tabitha approached Lex's desk. He turned around and immediately smiled.

"You're alive! I missed you so much…" he tried but Tabitha threw a string of lightning towards him; he was lucky that he dodged it.

"Next time, I won't miss…" she glared at him. Lex smiled a little.

"Oh, Miss Lyght! Why treat me like this? Didn't I let you have total control of everything? Didn't we have so much fun together? I even proved to be your most loyal… and obedient servant…" he slyly smiled. Tabitha gave him a confused look.

"What are you getting at?" she slowly asked. Lex started approaching her.

"You don't remember, my love? It was a miracle I had enough strength to get up in the mornings! Tabitha…" Lex tried to approach her but felt like he ran into an invisible wall, "What's… this…" he asked but J'onn immediately appeared.

"J'onn, I swear I don't remember any of that…" Tabitha quickly said.

"You… had sex with Tabitha?" J'onn started stepping towards Lex. He smiled uneasily.

"J'onn J'onzz in the flesh! So, why is it any concern of yours… oh…" Lex figured out once J'onn backed him to a wall.

"If you invade her dreams ever again… the next time we meet, it will **not **be this pleasant! If you even come near her ever again, mark my words Lex Luthor: I will show you the **true **meaning of why I am called the Manhunter!" J'onn glared at him. Tabitha grabbed J'onn by his arm.

"I… think he gets it! Seriously: you literally just scared the piss outta him! Let's go, J'onn." Tabitha urged. J'onn reluctantly turned away and the two left. Lex finally stopped shaking enough to buzz his receptionist.

"Yes, Mr. Luthor?"

"… I'm going to need a new pair of pants…"


	21. Found Part 2

Chapter Twenty-One: Memories Found, Part Two

Tabitha wanted to put what happened to her in the past; she hoped that she would never cross paths with Lex Luthor ever again. She had a feeling that after the threat J'onn made, he wouldn't want to come anywhere near her for a long time! Bruce wasn't convinced and started to investigate Luthor, especially since he found out about the properties he bought in Gotham City. What he didn't know was that Question, another Justice League member was investigating the true meaning of Cadmus as well.

J'onn had Tabitha invite Ramil and Ashley aboard Watchtower one day. The two looked at her with curiosity.

"So, J'onn wanted to talk to us?" Ashley asked. Tabitha nodded.

"He wanted to thank you two personally for saving me. He's been pretty busy lately and felt that it was better to invite you two here than come down to Earth." Tabitha explained. The two followed her down the hallway.

"How you feeling these days?" Ramil asked. Tabitha shrugged.

"Better. I learned my lesson about leaving without telling anyone! He's in here." Tabitha opened the door. Ashley and Ramil were surprised to not only see J'onn but the rest of the founding members; Tabitha had led them into the council room. The husband and wife looked at the seven members as J'onn stood up.

"Ramil and Ashley Jones: because of your heroic actions in saving a fellow Justice League member, I spoke with the others and we all came to the decision of extending membership to you two." he announced. The two could only gawk at everyone.

"We're… we'll be honored to join the Justice League…" Ashley said. The group smiled at the two and gave them a round of applause. Tabitha grabbed their shoulders.

"Welcome to the Justice League! As our newest members, you'll have to go through some series of training sessions. If you decide to go back to Earth, make sure you're here on time for your sessions. Now, let me give you two a tour!"

After their tour, Ashley and Ramil went back to Earth to begin celebrating the holidays. Tabitha walked around and noticed that others had made plans as well. She called her family via her communicator.

"Tabitha! Tell me you're coming home for the holidays…" her mother didn't even have to say "hello"! Tabitha laughed.

"Looks like we've finally got a break so, yeah. Mom… I'm bringing J'onn with me…"

"… oh… well, he **is **your boyfriend so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised…"

"Mom, I know that he's… different but… so am I. Just look at this as an opportunity to get to know him better… please?"

"Well… alright, Tabby. I'm just glad you're coming home!"

"Thanks, mom! See you in a few minutes!" Tabitha said and ended the call. She found J'onn in his usual spot, over the controls of Watchtower, "So… what are your plans for the holiday?" she smiled at him. J'onn turned around and smiled back.

"Since everyone else is leaving, it looks like I'm staying… why are you shaking your head?"

"There's no way I'm spending the holidays without my boyfriend! Come on; you don't wanna keep my folks waiting!" Tabitha tried to shove him away from the controls.

"Wait… Tabitha…"

"You said it yourself; you're always in contact with Watchtower so no worries, there! You should have no excuses now, let's go!" Tabitha was now pulling him by his arm.

"You want me to go like this?"

"It's not like they haven't seen you like this before!" Tabitha rolled her eyes. J'onn sighed.

"I'm not going to win this battle… am I?"

"Nope!"

Tabitha was surprised and excited to see that it had snowed in Chattanooga. It had been so long since she had seen snow, she felt like a little kid all over, again. The driveways and streets had been slightly cleared but the current snowfall threatened to undo the hard work.

Tabitha and J'onn were about to walk up the pathway to her parents' house when she looked around the yard. She immediately stopped in her tracks and J'onn noticed.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She studied the scene and narrowed her eyes. Usually, the snow removed from the street, driveways and sidewalks were put in large piles on the side; Tabitha saw that someone clearly made small forts in the yard. Her eyes widened.

"Ambush!" she said. She pulled J'onn with her as the two headed for cover behind her father's car. The two immediately heard the thumps of snowballs hitting the vehicle. Tabitha quickly started making snowballs, "J'onn, start making snowballs!"

"… What…"

"When I say go, start pelting that fort in front of the house!" Tabitha had already made several snowballs, "Alright… go!" she said. Tabitha came out of her hiding spot and started throwing snowballs at the small fort, which was now occupied by her brothers. She had managed to duck from several retaliating snowballs but was quickly overcome, especially since J'onn did not join in the fight. J'onn was confused and was about to attack the men until he saw that everyone was laughing, including Tabitha, despite her being attacked, "Okay, okay: truce, truce! J'onn; you didn't help me!" he was glad that she was still laughing. Her brothers stopped throwing snowballs at her and hugged her.

"When mom said you were coming, we **had **to get you!" Tyler, the second youngest winked. He and Tabitha had numerous similar features and could've very well passed as twins.

"I didn't think it would work when she said that he was gonna be here!" Thomas, the oldest pointed at J'onn. He approached him and stuck his hand out, "J'onn J'onzz, huh? Thomas Lyght." he introduced himself. Thomas was as tall and muscular as their father but was an even mix of both parents. Tabitha smiled at him.

"You follow the Justice League?"

"Of course, especially since my baby sister joined!" he roughly put her in a half headlock. Tabitha fought him off, blushing.

"I'm your **only **sister, goof! Where's your cars?"

"Had to pull this off; we parked down the street!" Tim, the second oldest stated. Tim favored their mother more than any of the siblings, including Tabitha. The six went inside the house.

After everyone settled down, Tabitha and her brothers sat in the living room while J'onn talked to her parents. The five were drinking hot chocolate together.

"So… you and J'onn are… dating?" Thomas asked. Tabitha slightly blushed and nodded.

"You love him?" Tyler asked. Tabitha took a sip out of her mug and shrugged.

"I guess…"

"What do you mean, 'you guess'? Either you love him or you don't!" Thomas laughed, "Does he love you?"

"Look; all I know is that J'onn cares about me… a lot! And… that's all that matters to me. No one else in the league knows about us so…"

"Wait… he hasn't told anyone?" Tim asked. Tabitha slightly shook her head. Thomas and himself started to shake their heads and sat back in their seats.

"Aw, sis; take it from us: when a man keeps a relationship a secret, it means something ain't right!" Thomas said.

"It's not like that. J'onn is a founding member; I'm just a regular member. The league wouldn't be ready for that." Tabitha tried to explain. Tim looked at his brothers.

"Hey; gotta remember he ain't human…"

"I guess so…" Tyler said.

"Well… you know that dad's 'interviewing' him right now…" Thomas smiled. Tabitha looked at him.

"What?! He wouldn't…" Tabitha narrowed her eyes towards the hallway.

J'onn sat across from Curtis Lyght and waited for him to speak. For some strange reason, it made him a bit nervous. He had to remember one of the reasons why was because this was the father of his girlfriend.

Curtis sat back in his seat and cleared his throat.

"What are your intentions with my baby girl?" he bluntly asked. Before J'onn could respond, Tabitha rushed into the room.

"Daddy!"

"Go back in there and help your mother cook, honey; this is men folk business…" he said without looking at her. Tabitha pulled J'onn up by his hand.

"I didn't invite him over to be uncomfortable! I just wanted you guys to get to know him better!"

"Well, what do you think I was trying to do?" Curtis looked at his daughter. Tabitha shook her head as J'onn tried not to laugh at the situation.

"Dad… I'm not a teenager, anymore! J'onn… could you please let me talk to my dad, alone?" she asked. He simply nodded and left the room. Tabitha eyed her dad, "Can you just simply… talk to him? Stop trying to make him nervous and uncomfortable!" she pleaded. Curtis continued to look at her.

"He really means something to you, huh?" he simply asked her. Tabitha sighed a little.

"Yes. He means a lot to me…"

J'onn went back into the kitchen to speak with Olivia. He knew that the parents were uncomfortable around him, especially Olivia and the feeling was mutual.

Olivia tried to keep herself busy instead of having conversation with J'onn. She knew that she had told her daughter that she would try but it was pretty hard now that he was in front of her. It wasn't like she got a bad vibe from him; he wasn't even human.

"If it makes you feel better… I can shape shift into a form that would make both of us comfortable…" J'onn volunteered. Olivia looked at him and slightly smiled.

"No, no; I have to get used to you, that's all. I have to get reused to my daughter, too…" Olivia finally admitted. J'onn sat down at the kitchen table.

"What was she like before?"

"Oh; my Tabby was always a brazen one! Not that I blamed her, being raised around the boys. When she was younger, she wanted so much to be like Tommy and Ty; such a tomboy, she was! It didn't surprise me when she said she was going into the military; I knew that she would do well there. We just had other plans for her."

"Go into the same line of work as you?"

"No, actually. I didn't want her to become a real estate agent or an accountant. I **did **want her to go to college."

"I believe she completed a year. It's not too late for her to go back. She's more intelligent than she gives herself credit for."

"Don't I know it! That child; always thinking that she was dumb! J'onn, have you ever dealt with racism?" Olivia looked dead at him.

"I don't like the way a lot of humans think. This is why I stay on Watchtower. The Martian race never looked down on anyone who was different and we never thought that we were more superior to anyone else. I found out very quickly that it's not the case here… and it bothers me a lot."

"Then, I guess you know what Curtis and I had to go through growing up. I didn't want my children going through that, or thinking that they were inferior because they're black. The one thing that we've learned as a minority is that a lot of folks think that we can't succeed. So, we stressed for the children to do well in school, go to college and get a nice job. I didn't want anyone looking down on my children. Anyway… Tabby went against the grain, which is definitely her style! I just never imagined that she would've gone through what she has… it's a lot to ask for a mother to get used to." Olivia finished. She sat down at the table with J'onn, "Not that I refuse to get used to it; I'm just glad that my Tabby is finally safe and we're able to see her! And… I'm glad that someone cares for her as much as we do." she patted J'onn on his hand, "It's not every day that someone's child becomes a super heroine and dates a Martian!" she slightly laughed.

"It's still a little weird to me as well. But… I do care a lot about Tabitha."

"I can tell. You know; I feel much better getting that off my chest! And, please forgive Curtis for his behavior!"

"She's the only girl; I understand." J'onn smiled. Olivia got up and went back to prepping the food.

"Now… do you know about the Christmas holiday?"

J'onn had to admit that the first day was a little shaky but after talking to Tabitha's mother, he felt more comfortable and had gotten used to the Lyght family. He saw that the brothers acted as if Tabitha wasn't a Metahuman and she told him later that night that she appreciated that the most. She was also glad that they didn't treat J'onn any different but because he was deemed as "the boyfriend", they put him through the same questions that her father wanted to do!

J'onn had never spent the holidays with anyone, seeing that the numerous missions had always kept everyone busy. The only ones he would even think about considering family were the founding Justice League members and they had families of their own to spend holidays and vacations with. So, the Lyght family took the time to tell him about their holiday traditions as well as the true meaning of Christmas. He had wished that every other human looked at it the way the Lyght family did.

On Christmas day, the Lyght family and J'onn attended church (he had to shape shift, of course) and came back home for Christmas dinner. Although the family believed in the true meaning of Christmas, it didn't stop them from giving out presents for one another. Because the majority was considered adults, there were small gifts that consisted of gift cards or flat out cards with money inside; only Terry received video games. Thomas looked at J'onn.

"Sorry, J'onn; we didn't know what to give you…"

"It's fine. Being invited here is worth more than anything."

"Well… I got you something!" Tabitha smiled. She ran upstairs to get his gift. She gave him the reddish abstract sculpture.

"Hey; that's pretty nice! Where'd you get it?" Terry asked. Tabitha smiled even more.

"I made it." she said. J'onn examined the sculpture and looked back at her.

"Tabitha… this is Martian rock…"

"I wanted to make it out of something that you associate with. Have you ever tried to make a sculpture out of Oreos? I don't recommend it…"

"Where did you get Martian rock from?"

"… from Mars… well, technically, Superman got it for me. I kinda sent him on a scavenger hunt for rare rocks!" Tabitha continued to smile. J'onn found himself speechless as he studied the sculpture.

"This is the kindest thing anyone has done for me in a long time. Thank you, Tabitha…"

J'onn came back with a sense of belonging. Tabitha's family had learned to accept him and he was looking forward to more visits with them. Tabitha was beyond happy that her family had put in an effort to bond with J'onn. She was also thrilled that he enjoyed his gift; it was the first sculpture that she had done since becoming a part of the Justice League and knew that it had to be a special one.

Everything was getting back to normal on Watchtower. J'onn was slowly letting Tabitha go on more missions but she had become more comfortable staying on Watchtower with him, completing upgrades. In the meantime, Bruce and Question continued their investigations into Cadmus without anyone else knowing.

Tabitha was heading to the main control room when she overheard J'onn talking to someone. He looked a little upset but performed an emergency transport. Tabitha saw a woman in purple carrying a man who was obviously beaten up with no face. Tabitha watched as the two hurried to the infirmary. She looked at J'onn.

"Who are they?" she asked and he sighed.

"Huntress and Question. She was banned from the league when she tried to kill someone…" J'onn remembered. Tabitha was shocked at first but then was quickly reminded that J'onn had come close to killing Tala. She was surprised at his rage but realized that under other circumstances, he had a right to threaten her. Maybe Huntress had a good reason for her attempt but with a name like that, it may have been unlikely, Tabitha thought.

The two headed to the infirmary and got the whole story; Question was actually captured by Cadmus for investigating them and was tortured. Clark and Huntress came to his rescue, with Clark fighting a Justice League member who deflected to Cadmus, Captain Atom. After tending to Captain Atom, Clark went to check on Question. After speaking with him, Clark went to his cousin, Kara and told her the truth about Cadmus: she had become cloned. The two ran into Tabitha while going to the control room.

"Clark! What's going on?"

"Just the person I wanted to see! We're assembling a team to take care of Cadmus and Luthor."

"Oh… do you think that's such a good idea?"

"They're plotting against us, trying to make us look like the bad guys. Don't forget what Luthor did to you!" Clark told her. She looked away.

"I don't need any reminders about that!"

"That isn't a good idea…" J'onn interfered, "This league was formed to uphold the law, not take it in our own hands."

"What are we supposed to do when they harass one of our own, J'onn? Cadmus is a corrupt branch…"

"Which we don't have proof of! The only thing we have proof of is that a few employees are questionable. Even still, that doesn't give us the right to do what we feel!"

"Tabitha… what do you think? You've dealt with Luthor…"

"I think… that if we put the law into our own hands, it would make people really nervous about us…"

"She has a point." Green Arrow chimed in. By now, there were a few members gathered in the control room, "I'm the only one without any superpowers and you know what? You guys scare me!"¹

"Look; I don't like what Luthor did to me. But, the way that you're acting… it makes me think about what he was trying to tell me more and more…" Tabitha looked at Clark. He gave her a surprised look.

"What?!"

"Call him a master manipulator all you want but I think that him having a reason to question us isn't all of an act. Be honest, Clark: what's stopping you or any of us from going down to Earth and beating the crap outta people who we think deserves it?"

"What are we supposed to do, Tabitha? Let them run all over us because we're afraid to show them that we demand some type of respect?" Kara asked.

"I don't wanna slap innocent people around all because I can! They're afraid of us as it is! We're not the police, Kara!"

"So, who will protect us when someone does wrong to one of us?" Diana asked.

"We protect each other. Tabitha's right; we're not the police." J'onn backed Tabitha up. The group that was there began to bicker between one another until Tabitha's attention was drawn to the switchboard. Before she could get everyone else's attention, the computer announced that the nuclear laser cannon was preparing to fire. J'onn immediately turned around as Tabitha held her hands up.

"J'onn, I swear I didn't touch nothing! It's going off by itself!" she told him. He tried to override the system but failed; the system immediately locked him out. Tabitha tried to override the system as well but got the same results. Clark immediately went outside to redirect the cannon as J'onn tore out the circuit board to shut everything down. But, it was too late as the cannon fired and drained the electricity out of Watchtower. Tabitha stared at J'onn with fear in her eyes, "I didn't touch any of the controls…"

"I know. It was hacked."

"Someone's trying to frame all of us…" Tabitha realized.

"It's Luthor. He knows we're on to him!"

"We don't have proof!" J'onn fired back at Clark. Before he could continue, the group heard a ring. They all looked towards the red phone.

"This ain't good…" Tabitha almost whispered; it was the president's direct line to Watchtower. J'onn reluctantly answered it and had a very brief conversation with him. He sighed when he hung up, "We're in trouble… aren't we?"

"He's… frustrated at what just happened. The laser hit a building; it was evacuated before it got hit. But… it was a Cadmus-owned building. The impact set off an Earthquake in the vicinity. We need to send a relief team down there. Wally, assemble a team and head to Earth as soon as possible to help out."

"On it!" Wally said and left. Tabitha followed him.

"I'm going with you, Wally…"

"No; Tabitha, you stay here and keep an eye on Clark and Kara."

"What? I'd be more useful down there…"

"There's no need for you down on Earth. You're staying here…"

"How the hell am I supposed to keep an eye out on **them**?!"

"Tabitha… that is an order." J'onn looked at her. Tabitha looked at J'onn with a bewildered look but then huffed.

"Yes, sir." she responded and J'onn left. Tabitha stared at the two Kryptonians, "I don't like this no more than you do. But… if you try anything, I won't back down…"

"I wouldn't expect for you to. Tabitha… you know that we need to be down there, tracking down Luthor and Cadmus."

"Two years ago, I wouldn't have hesitated. But, what's the point, now? J'onn told me all about the Justice Lords and what they did. You really wanna be like them? The Justice Lord Superman killed Luthor because he killed the Justice Lord Flash…"

"That wasn't me and you know that!"

"But, you wanna retaliate **now**! The same way the Justice Lord Superman did. I learned that isn't the Justice League way and of all people, **you **should know that, too! We save the day, Clark. We don't take the law into our own hands just because we have superpowers."

"So, why did you confront Luthor on your own?"

"All I wanted was answers; that's it! I damn sure didn't go there to kill him! I actually walked the fuck away! And, he's done me worse than he's **ever **done you; he got into my dreams! Had he ever gotten into your mind like that, Clark?" Tabitha glared at him. Clark looked the other way but shook his head.

"He's tried to make me look like the bad guy…"

"Yeah? Well, he **made **me a bad guy! So, do I want him to pay for what he did to me? Fuck, yeah! Is that what you wanna hear from me?! Fine! Yes; I wanna charge up with all of my might and hit him with my powers… over and over again for what he did to me! I wish I had the power to bring people back to life so that I would do that and kill him, over and over again; **that's** how I feel!" she told Clark. He stared at her almost in disbelief. A hot tear rolled down her face and she angrily wiped at it, "But… I don't retaliate because that's not what we're supposed to do!" Tabitha continued. Kara looked at Clark.

"She's right. The best thing for us to do would be to just turn Luthor in."

"Another thing we need to do… is turn ourselves in." J'onn told them. Tabitha shot a look at him.

"What?! But… this wasn't our fault!"

"Which is why it needs to be done. It will show our innocence."

"Or prove that we're guilty! J'onn…"

"Wait, Tabitha… he's right. We all have superpowers; this would prove that we would never harm the innocent or take the law into our own hands. Kara… hold down the fort¹. Tell the others our intentions." Clark said. Kara nodded and headed out of the control room. The other founding members teleported themselves down to Earth. J'onn grabbed Tabitha's arm.

"Where are you going?"

"You said to turn ourselves in…"

"Not you. You're staying here."

"Is that another order… sir?"

"Tabitha…"

"J'onn… I know the controls of Watchtower like the back of my hand, now; it could've very well had been me who pulled the trigger!"

"I know… which is why you're staying here as temp Monitor."

"What? J'onn…"

"You're the only one I trust to do so. Assist Kara in any way that you can; she's first in command… and you're second. I have to go." he told her. J'onn caressed Tabitha's cheeks and pulled her closer to him for a tender kiss. Tabitha looked at him.

"You make sure you come back…"

"I will. I promise." he said and left. Tabitha went to find Kara as well as other Justice League members. She found her by the infirmary.

"You've notified the others?"

"Yes. Are you still keeping an eye on me?"

"No; you're in charge. But, I do have to see if I can fix that circuit board…" Tabitha said and headed back to the control room.

"I take that as you're second in command…"

"But, I'm to assist you at all times, if need be. So, you'll take care of the troops…"

"And, you'll take care of Watchtower, itself. What do you need, Tabitha?"

"We… need to get the power restored as quickly as possible." Tabitha found it odd to take control. She immediately started working on the control panel that J'onn had destroyed, "The sooner we do so, the better. That way, I'll be able to communicate with the members helping out on Earth. I can see if I can disable the laser for the time being, just in case someone else decides to…" Tabitha was interrupted by the sound of an explosion. The two looked around the corner and saw that a few Ultimen were attacking.

"We're under attack!" Kara yelled. She was about to fight back until she was tackled by a woman who looked exactly like her. Tabitha was about to help Kara, "Don't worry about me; get the others and get rid of them!"

"Got it!" Tabitha went down the hallway. She fought her way through Watchtower, actually making sure that the others didn't get overwhelmed by the Ultimen clones. Tabitha was more worried about Kara and as soon as she saw that the others were handling the clones, she went to find her and her clone, Galatea. It didn't take long; all Tabitha had to do was follow the destruction. She found the two in the main circuit room, just in time to see Kara take the main circuits and electrocute Galatea. Exhausted, she fell to her knees as Tabitha rushed to help her.

"She was ordered to destroy Watchtower by Cadmus. How's the rest of Watchtower?"

"I can fix it with some help. Gee, Kara; if all you were gonna do was electrocute the bitch, **I **could've done that!" Tabitha winked at her. Kara laughed a little.

"Oh, no; I couldn't make second in command an easy task for you!"


	22. Found Part 3

Chapter Twenty-Two: Memories Found, Part Three

Kara and Tabitha assessed the damage after the power came back and got to work on fixing up Watchtower as well as tending to the wounded. After everything had settled back down, Tabitha attempted to contact the other founding members via the president.

"I see that you're prior service…"

"Yes, sir. I have some information I would like to share with the captive members, sir." she tried. He slowly nodded to her and motioned for the others to appear on screen; the only one missing was Bruce.

"Tabitha. How are you and Kara?" Clark asked.

"We were attacked. That clone of Kara's was ordered to do so… in retaliation. We've made most of the repairs and are attending to the wounded as we speak."

"Exactly who ordered that attack?" the president had become interested. Tabitha shook her head.

"I don't know, sir. All I know is that Cadmus ordered the attack, according to the clone."

"Batman is investigating Lex Luthor; he believes that he was the one behind the hack and not Cadmus, itself." J'onn chimed in. Tabitha nodded.

"What's the next move, then? Have the Justice League members been cleared, sir?" Tabitha looked at the president. He sat there and thought for a minute.

"I believe Batman; the Justice League was not behind the laser attack. They are released…"

"If it makes you feel better, sir… I've deactivated the cannon for now. The only way a hacker can activate it… is from this very panel, now." Tabitha stated. J'onn gave her a slight look of amusement as the president nodded.

"Tabitha?"

"Yes, sir?"

"A job well done." the president said. Tabitha couldn't help but to smile.

"We're going to help Batman's investigation. It could get ugly; how many members can help out?" J'onn asked. Tabitha sighed.

"The attack was massive, J'onn. Not too many are available…"

"I understand. Continue to tend to them and the repairs."

"Should I send members as needed?"

"It's your call. We'll keep you posted."

"Yes, sir…" Tabitha gave J'onn a half salute. She turned around and saw that Kara was behind her, "You should be resting…"

"I'm fine. You can't do the repairs **and** tend to the others!"

"I guess you're right. Let those who are available know that they're on call and have them help with the wounded. I'll switch between repairs and helping out as well." Tabitha said. Kara nodded but smiled.

"You know… I modeled my outfit in honor of my mentor; maybe you should do the same…"

After an hour of doing repairs and tending to the wounded, Tabitha was a bit worried that the founding members, especially J'onn had not contacted her with any type of new information. She decided to take a small break and watch the news for anything. She was glad that she did; there was news coverage on a battle in the middle of Metropolis; Lex Luthor against the founding members. Tabitha jumped up and stared at the screen. Something was wrong; Lex was easily beating up the others. She didn't understand what was going on but so far, it looked as though he was taunting Clark to use deadly force. She saw that the supercharged Lex was going after Wally and Tabitha realized what he was doing; he was trying to kill him just like his alternate reality self did. She wanted to go and save her friend, as well as the others. Just as when she was about to transport herself to Metropolis to help out, something changed. Wally started to fight back at high speed. Soon, he was going so fast, it looked as if he split into two. He was going too fast, she realized. Something had separated from Lex and Tabitha realized that he was fused with someone… or something that made him so powerful.

"Brainiac…" Kara said, behind her. Tabitha looked at her.

"Who?"

"He's an alien android. He's the reason why our home planet was destroyed. He fuses with anything he can just so that he can absorb all the knowledge of a planet. He's probably the reason why Luther's been doing what he's been doing lately…" she said. Tabitha shook her head and continued to watch. No sooner had Brainiac left Lex's body, Wally suddenly disappeared.

"Wally!" she yelled. Tabitha ran into the control room and teleported herself to the scene. The others were surprised to see her.

"Tabitha!" Diana looked at her.

"Where's Flash? Where did he go?!" she panicked. Lex was in a small crater in the road, created by Wally pummeling him so fast. He smirked at the others.

"What do you know; I **did **kill him!¹" he mused. Tabitha glared at him but was held back by J'onn.

"He didn't kill him; Flash tapped into the Speed Force." he said. Tabitha looked at him.

"Then we need to get him back!" she told him. Shayera slashed the air with her mace, creating a portal. Tabitha rushed up to the portal and reached in, "Flash!"

"Tabitha, no!" Shayera yelled. She grabbed a hold of her other arm to keep her from being sucked in. The other members did the same.

"… I got him!" Tabitha said and pulled Wally out of the portal. He fell into her lap and she hugged him, "Wally…"

"I never want to go that fast ever again...¹" he looked at her.

"You dummy; I can't afford to lose my friend!"

"Heh… I finally beat you, Tabby…"

"You big dummy…"

Lex Luthor was finally placed in jail for all of his crimes, not likely to ever get out. In the meantime, the founding members held a press conference in Metropolis to announce the disbandment of the league. Seeing that this move didn't agree with anyone else, J'onn came to the compromise of setting up a station on Earth to encourage better relations with civilians. They named the building Metro Tower.

Jamila was finishing up on an afternoon class.

"For your upcoming quiz, review chapters five and six. And remember; tomorrow, I need you guys to turn in your topics for your assignment so that I can approve them. Now, get out of here and watch the roads!" she dismissed her class. As the students were heading out, another professor entered her classroom.

"Dr. Lindsey; someone dropped this off for you." she handed her an envelope. Jamila thanked the woman and opened the envelope. She looked in fear at the letter.

"_We have your children. If you want to see them again, follow these instructions and don't inform the police or the Justice League. Go to your home._" the note read.

"Hey; who dropped this… off…" Jamila looked up but found that the woman had left. Was this a joke, she thought as she packed up her things and headed out of the building. Jamila was about to call her husband until her phone rang; a private number, "Dr. Lindsey."

"Did you get the note?"

"Who's this?"

"You will do as instructed or you will never see your children, again!"

"This isn't funny, whoever this is…"

"Go home and check on your children, Dr. Lindsey, if you think this is a joke!" the guy said and hung up. Jamila got into her car and rushed home. When she got there, she was relieved to see her husband's car. No one has my babies, she thought as she opened her door. Then she saw that her home had been trashed. Jamila's heart raced as she ran up the stairs to her children's rooms.

"A.C.? Solonia? Jamil?!" she yelled. She opened both doors but found no children. She went into her room and saw her husband tied to a chair, beaten. She rushed over to untie him, "Albert! What happened?! Are you okay?!"

"Now, do you believe that this is serious, Dr. Lindsey?" a man asked. Jamila quickly turned around and was facing a tall blond man with piercing blue eyes. She glared at him.

"Where are my children?!"

"They're safe… for now. You will do as I say and they will remain safe. When the mission is done, your children will be returned to you." the man told her. Tears streamed down her face.

"Don't hurt my babies! What do you want?!" she asked. The man threw a badge at her.

"Duplicate this five times." he demanded. She looked at the badge and then shot a look at the man.

"My… Watchtower ID… you want to sneak onto Watchtower?!"

"If any Justice League member is notified… you will never see your children, again! Now… the sooner you get to work on these, the sooner you'll see them!"

Tabitha was helping others move things to Metro Tower. J'onn approached her.

"I need to speak with you." he simply told her. Diana grabbed the box from her.

"I'll finish up here." she said and left. Tabitha and J'onn went to her room. He embraced her and gave her a simple kiss.

"You did a great job these past few days. I'm really proud of you, Tabitha." he smiled. Tabitha smiled back.

"I was so nervous!"

"You did fine! And, you saved Wally…" J'onn pointed out. Tabitha thought about it.

"Huh. I did… didn't I? I just… reacted. If it wasn't for Shayera, there wouldn't have been a portal to even get to him."

"That is true. But, it was very brave of you to rescue your friend. Are you moving to Metro Tower?"

"You know that I'm going wherever you're going!"

"For right now, I'm staying here. I'll probably go back and forth between here and Metro Tower."

"Pretty sure it's gonna need some upgrades. Is that why you ask?" Tabitha smirked at him. He laughed a little.

"I asked because I was curious! I know that you miss Earth."

"I do. Maybe I could move to Metropolis. You know; have a place outside of Metro Tower."

"I would miss having you around me but… if that's what you want…"

"J'onn… I'd want you to move in with me." Tabitha looked at him. J'onn gave her a surprised look.

"Tabitha…"

"We've been together for almost two years, now. Most people get married after that! I just want us to live together…" Tabitha still looked at him. J'onn took Tabitha's hands into his and kissed them.

"That sounds like a plan to me."

J'onn left Tabitha's room with somewhat mixed emotions. The two were about to make a huge step in their relationship: living together. Overall, he had no problem with it; he was used to being around her all day, anyway. Watching her grow on Watchtower for the past two and a half years, J'onn knew everything there was to know about Tabitha Lyght. He knew her strengths, her weaknesses, her faults and her quirks. He was actually looking forward to the two having their own home.

So, why did he feel a little rushed? The two had been dating for almost two years and he knew that Tabitha was right; statistically, many couples end up married after dating for that long. He knew that a part of it was that no one else knew about their relationship except Dr. Lindsey, Shayera and Tabitha's family. Would living together force the two to admit about their relationship to the others or even the rest of the world?

J'onn soon realized that he was worrying over nothing; because he kept himself isolated, no one else knew a lot about him. Many only saw him as Monitor of Watchtower; they had no idea what he did afterhours. No one would know that the two were living together because of that fact.

J'onn also foolishly thought about Tabitha's safety but realized that moving in together would be the ultimate solution. After all, with the two living together, J'onn would know Tabitha's whereabouts at all times; if she wasn't home, she would be either on Watchtower, Metro Tower or on a mission, preferably alongside himself.

What really scared J'onn was the fact that he had to admit something that he didn't want to: he loved Tabitha. He had actually admitted it to himself watching her go through the ordeal of her memory loss but the fact that the two were going to move in together made it more real for him. The only thing left for J'onn to do was tell her so.


	23. Found Part 4

With the majority of Watchtower helping each other move items to Metro Tower, everyone became really busy. Too busy to notice that there were unfamiliar civilians among the new shift coming aboard. J'onn was too busy explaining the communication system to Tabitha to even notice.

"I don't know why you can't just go into my head and **make **me remember all of this! You went through Bruce's mind and taught him how to fly Martian aircraft, for crying out loud!" Tabitha complained. J'onn laughed a little.

"It was needed. I've offered to teach you several things and you've always declined. You can either take all of my offers or none; you can't have the best of both worlds!" he told her. Tabitha looked at him and smirked, about to say something but J'onn raised his hand to stop her, "Any smart remarks I can retaliate against now; I've been around you too long…" he told her. Tabitha laughed.

"So, how many are moving to Metro Tower?"

"I'm not sure. Quite a few are moving there temporarily until Watchtower is completed of repairs. How much longer will that be?"

"I only have a couple of minor repairs left. A couple of days, maybe, with help."

"John and Captain Atom are here now; do you want to work on that instead?"

"With the four of us, I could be done in a few hours! Why the rush?"

"Well… Metro Tower needs a Monitor."

"I guess that's understandable. Can't expect for you to go back and forth between… wait… you're asking **me** to be Monitor?!" she shot a look at him. J'onn laughed.

"What do you think I've been grooming you for all this time? We'll have to vote on it but I'm certain that it will be unanimous."

"… Don't you think that would show that we have a relationship?"

"No. Remember; I've been openly training you. Besides, it was Clark and Kara's idea. Are you trying to avoid giving me an answer?" J'onn smiled. Tabitha blushed.

"It's so… sudden. I didn't think that I did that good of a job!"

"Kara told me about how you handled things while we were gone. She said you were a natural. And, don't forget that I was there when you were talking to the president!"

"You were impressed?"

"Overly!" J'onn smiled at her. Tabitha thought about it. She had never imagined becoming Monitor or anything that gave her a hint of authority within the Justice League. She was content just being a part of the team… as well as being with J'onn. She was much more comfortable when she confessed she wanted the two to move in together!

Tabitha finally looked at J'onn and smiled.

"Okay. I'll accept."

"I'm glad. Now… let's get these repairs underway!"

Tabitha was surprised that the repairs were going as smooth and quickly as possible. She had to admit that she had gotten used to knowing her way around wires to the point where she felt that no one else could do her job better. The more they helped, the more she was gracious for their help.

The four took a small break and John looked at Tabitha.

"How do you do this, day in and day out? This is tedious!" he complained. Tabitha smiled.

"The same way that you guys fight crime day in and day out! Not that it's tedious but you get the point!" she winked at him. He laughed, "I know that you guys don't think so but… I like messing with wires and stuff liked that."

"Will you miss it?" John asked. Tabitha eyed him strangely.

"… Am I retiring or something?"

"J'onn, you didn't tell her about becoming Monitor?"

"I did."

"Oh! You're talking about the promotion! Well, **that **ain't gonna stop me from doing upgrades! You knew?"

"Of course and I agree with it. It guarantees more missions for you as well…" John half whispered to Tabitha.

"I heard that, by the way…" J'onn eyed the two and everyone laughed. Their laughter was interrupted by a small tremor followed by a blaring warning siren.

"… What the…" Tabitha was already alongside J'onn as they made their way to the control area. She looked at the indicators and gave J'onn a shocked look, "An explosion… in the reactor area below…" she held her breath.

"Order an immediate evacuation; I'll go and assess the damage."

"Let me; I think that's more my expertise." Captain Atom volunteered. J'onn nodded as Captain Atom left and Tabitha announced for an immediate evacuation of Watchtower.

"You'll need to leave as well. Don't worry; John and I can handle things." he looked at Tabitha. She just stared as the two left to help with evacuations. Tabitha turned back to the controls, thinking how she could be of more help. She really couldn't; she had no idea about nuclear reactors. Maybe her best friend did; Tabitha pressed her communicator.

"Doc…" she tried. No answer, "Doc!" maybe she didn't hear her. Still no answer. Something was wrong, Tabitha could feel it. Jamila would be home with the triplets at that time; she always had her communicator on her, anyway. Before Tabitha could make a decision, J'onn approached her.

"I thought I told you to evacuate!"

"… I know, I know; I need to. I wasn't going to but… I think something's wrong with doc; she's not answering."

"Go check on her. Tabitha… I don't give these orders to be mean to you…"

"J'onn… that explosion wasn't an accident." Captain Atom's voice came through. Tabitha looked at J'onn.

"Who would purposely set off an explosion?!"

"Either someone with a deadly objective… or someone trying to create a diversion."

"J'onn! Security breach in the storage room!" John panicked. He looked back at Tabitha.

"You really need to get out of here; this could get out of hand." he told her. But, Tabitha folded her arms across her chest and shook her head.

"I'm gonna have to disobey. The only way out of here is through this room; whoever's stealing is gonna have to go through you… and I'm your backup!" she declared. J'onn just looked at her and slightly smiled.

"Make sure you keep up, then…" he said. Tabitha narrowed her eyes at him and smirked.

"Smart ass…"

The two didn't have to wait for long; they heard a commotion out in the hallway: the intruders had encountered three Justice League members, Shining Knight, Vigilante and Atom Smasher. J'onn made himself invisible as the three members carried the fight into the control room. Tabitha was surprised that the intruders took care of the Justice League members.

"_Soo… we're just gonna let them whoop up on our people?"_

_"They're fine. I just want to see how far they think they can go…" _J'onn told Tabitha. The group, four men and a woman: Colonel Rick Flagg, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, The Clock King and Plastique looked in shock at Tabitha as she slowly clapped.

"I bet you're wondering who am I and why I'm here by myself…"

"You would be correct, ma'am…" Rick mentioned.

"Huh; military. Haven't kicked a military personnel's ass in a while… well, I don't need to tell you who I am but I **will **let you know that I ain't alone!" she smiled as J'onn appeared. He looked at the five.

"Ask yourselves: is being in here with me what you truly desire? ¹"

"**And, **he has backup? Boy… you picked the wrong damn day to try to come up in here!" she told the five. They tried to escape but Tabitha did a Lightning Cloud in front of Rick. She shook her head as he looked at her in shock.

"Seriously… who are you?"

"Someone you **really **don't want to fuck with right about now!" Tabitha said and charged up.

"_No abilities; they have no powers…"_

_"__**Seriously?!**__"_ Tabitha sighed and punched Rick. Whenever it looked as if J'onn was going to be double-teamed, Tabitha came by and helped out; she had to admit that he was taking care of all five by himself! However, it made her happy that the two were fighting alongside each other. Regardless of their physical, mentally and intellectual differences, they were actually a fairly matched pair.

Tabitha was busy with The Clock King when she turned to see if J'onn needed anymore help. When she did, she saw that the Annihilator battlesuit had made its way into the room.

"Oh, holy hell… I think I know what they're stealing!" she had looked at J'onn. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted as she watched J'onn transform into a monstrous form to terrorize Plastique. Tabitha looked on in fear, forgetting all about attacking anyone. It scared her enough to make her immobile and she wondered why it seemed so familiar to her. It reminded her of when she fought J'onn's brother; the feeling was exactly the same.

Tabitha gasped when she finally remembered. That's why I was too scared to move, she realized; Ma'alefa'ak had transformed into the same being. He had even stated that it was their true form. She also realized why she couldn't remember it: J'onn had tampered with her mind… again. She was quickly over her fear as a string of emotions flooded her. If anything, she was truly hurt that J'onn felt he had to use his ability on, of all people, her.

Becoming active by the fighting, the Annihilator suddenly grabbed J'onn and easily ripped him in half. Everything in Tabitha's body went numb as his scream echoed throughout the room. The only thing Tabitha could do was collapse to her knees as tears welled up in her eyes.

**"J'ONN!"** her body wouldn't let her go over to him. All she could do was stare at his lifeless upper body. Tears finally fell for Tabitha and the first thing she wanted to do was attack the Annihilator. Then, she remembered her time traveling trip and what the future Ramil and Ashley had told her; she had no choice but to stay put. She thought about J'onn and how it was unfair. They were about to move in with each other and her family had finally learned to accept him. Tabitha self-consciously grabbed at her throat to keep from sobbing; the last emotion she had for J'onn was anger. She just **had** to be upset with him right before he died. It made her more upset as tears streamed down her cheeks. What ate at her was that she finally wanted to admit the truth: she loved J'onn J'onzz… but he was gone.

Tabitha didn't feel like fighting anymore as she watched the group make their way over to the transporter console along with the Annihilator. She could've gone over to stop them but she risked going through the same fate as J'onn. Maybe that's what she really wanted; she had gotten so used to him being around her, it felt that it would be the right way to die. Tabitha's thoughts were interrupted once again as she looked on at shock: J'onn had attacked the Annihilator battlesuit.

"… J… J'onn…?" she half whispered. It couldn't be; wasn't he just lying on the floor, torn in two, she mused. Her mind was still numb but something made her approach the group to contribute to the fight. Captain Atom and John had finally joined the two in the room and they were about to attack until Plastique picked up an unconscious Atom Smasher and held up a white disc to his throat.

"Stop where you are or it's going to get really messy in here…" she threatened. The four stopped dead in their tracks. Tabitha glared at her.

"You don't have the balls…"

"You want to test your theory out? Go ahead and attack!" she held the disc closer to Atom Smasher's throat. A Lightning Cloud should solve this, Tabitha thought but was immediately held back by J'onn. He sighed and looked at Plastique.

"… Let them go…" he reluctantly agreed. Plastique smiled a little. Tabitha quickly looked at Captain Atom, slightly darted her eyes at Plastique and looked back at him; she had hoped that he would get the meaning before J'onn could.

Tabitha did a quick Lightning Cloud and appeared behind Plastique as Captain Atom rushed to grab Atom Smasher.

"Tabitha, no!" J'onn went over to them. But, it was too late. Tabitha had given Plastique a small shock, making the woman let go of her explosive. From the transport platform, Deadshot shot the disc with his pistol. Before it exploded, J'onn threw Tabitha out of harm's way and covered her from the explosion. She could only stare at him when he lifted up, "Are you okay?" he asked. She couldn't answer; the shock of seeing him die was still fresh. She looked down at his waist, surprised to see that there were no scars or anything that showed that he was even harmed.

"J'onn… you… you were…" she couldn't form the words. He slightly smiled and helped her up.

"I forgot to tell you about my other ability: regeneration. I'm fine." he tried to reassure her. As the smoke cleared in the room, the four saw that the intruders and the Annihilator were gone. J'onn rushed up to the transport console and tried to trace their coordinates. He was stopped short as the console started to smoke and blew up, "They thought of everything."¹ he sadly realized. Tabitha looked at the damage in the room and cringed when she saw that Plastique and Atom Smasher were badly injured from the explosion. Civilian employees had rushed in the room and Tabitha looked at them.

"Get these two to the infirmary right now!" she had to be stern to keep from breaking down, again; she knew that this was her fault. She shouldn't have tried to play hero, she realized. The very thought just made her more upset at herself. She went to the transport console and immediately went to work trying to repair it.

J'onn saw that Tabitha was not herself but looked at John.

"I need to find out who they were and how they were able to get aboard." he said as calmly as possible. John nodded and left the room. J'onn approached Tabitha and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. He was surprised that she slightly shook it off, not even bothering to look at him, "Tabitha…" he wanted to make sure that she was okay.

"I… I know what you're going to say; all this was my fault…" she managed. The thought made a tear roll down her cheek. However, J'onn slightly shook his head and wiped at the tear.

"I just wanted to make sure that you're okay." he told her. It was enough to make more tears roll down to her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped at her tears.

"No. I just… give me a minute… okay?" it still bothered J'onn that she wouldn't look at him. The only thing he could do was nod. Before he could walk away, he heard a small sob escape from Tabitha and he turned to look at her again. Tears ran out of her eyes at a more rapid rate to the point where wiping at them did nothing. She eventually stopped trying and went back to work. J'onn also saw that her hands slightly shook as she tried to repair the console. He couldn't take it much longer and finally made her stop, hugging her in the process. She shook and buried her head in his chest, embarrassed that she broke down the way that she did, "You were dead. I watched you die…" her muffled voice was shaky.

"I'm sorry." he simply said. J'onn was indeed sorry. He was sorry that he never told her about his regeneration ability; the Martian was able to regenerate his entire body from a very small fragment of his skin: being torn into two was nothing for him. However, the one thing he was truly sorry for was that Tabitha had to witness him going through that turmoil.

J'onn stopped hugging Tabitha and made her look at him. Her eyes were starting to turn red from all the crying she had done. At least she stopped shaking, he thought. He was glad that she calmed down a bit but J'onn knew that it would take her a while to get over her shock and was willing to wait.

Tabitha looked over J'onn's shoulder and saw John escort a civilian over to the two. J'onn turned around and took notice.

"I believe that he has some information to share with you." John looked at J'onn. He looked at the man's nametag: Vance.

"He's one of the bridge crew members." Tabitha quietly informed J'onn. He simply stared at Vance.

"What do you know?"

"For the love of God, please don't say you had a hand in this…" Tabitha remembered how J'onn reacted when they had encountered Tala. Vance dropped his head a little and Tabitha knew that her instincts were dead on.

"They'll… they'll do something bad to me if I say anything…" Vance weakly said. It was enough for Tabitha to step up and glare at the man.

"Something **worse** will happen to you here if you don't talk!" she threatened. J'onn held her back.

"I gave… some information to the group… about when to sneak aboard…"

"You're joking… right? **Please** tell me you're joking! You helped a bunch of thieves sneak up here to steal the Annihilator?!" Tabitha yelled at Vance. He looked down at the ground.

"How were they able to get up here?" J'onn narrowed his eyes at Vance. He took a hard swallow.

"I… used to know this guy… his wife can make fake IDs…" he admitted. Tabitha's eyes widened.

"No…" J'onn said for Tabitha. Before anyone could stop her, she grabbed Vance by his shirt.

"You better tell me you're lying or I'm a beat the shit outta you and make you into a fucking example!" she told him. John grabbed Tabitha away from Vance.

"Get him out of my sight…" J'onn continued to stare at him. Two civilian members escorted Vance away.

"And, you're fired! You're so fucking fired! I think we should get rid of **all **of 'em!" Tabitha looked at J'onn.

"Tabitha! J'onn, what do you think?" John asked.

"I think… I should go back and erase his entire mind!"

"I concur! Hey; bring him back!"

"Now, wait a minute you two! He's told us everything, already; it would be pointless to erase his mind!"

"It would make me feel better… we wouldn't be able to trust him with any information."

"Do you really think that we can trust **any **of the staff after this? Even Dr. Lindsey can't be trusted, anymore." John looked at Tabitha. She slowly shook her head.

"I refuse to believe that…"

"Tabitha… you told me earlier that you couldn't get in contact with her. It might make sense…" Tabitha glared at J'onn before he could finish his sentence.

"Doc's no traitor and how dare you even accuse her of it!" she surprisingly snapped at him.

"The only way to find out is to ask her about it. How long will it take you to fix the console?" J'onn tried to ignore her previous reaction. Tabitha immediately went back to the console.

"A few minutes…"

John, Tabitha and J'onn transported themselves in front of Jamila's home. John looked around the yard.

"Something's not right. Where are the children?" he asked. Tabitha looked.

"He's right. Doc doesn't like for them to play video games all day; she would've forced them outside on a day like this…" she realized. The weather was cool but the sky was clear; the triplets would've been outside in their sweaters, rolling around in the front yard. John used his ring to scan the home and the surrounding area. He quickly looked at the two.

"Her house is bugged." he looked at the two strangely. Tabitha's heart raced.

"She's in trouble. There I was, trying to play hero and I should've came down here to protect her…"

"Let's not jump to conclusions…"

"Like you did?" Tabitha eyed J'onn. He slightly sighed and looked at her.

"Let's go in there and have a regular conversation with her. Do not mention anything about what happened on Watchtower…" he told Tabitha and John as he shape shifted into a random human form. The three walked to the door and Tabitha knocked on the door. They heard the rattling of the chain and the deadbolt being unlocked. She never locks up this heavy in the daytime, Tabitha thought. The door slowly opened and the three were looking into Jamila's bloodshot eyes. Her eyes widened for a second but then she put on a fake smile, not moving away from the door.

"… Tabs… it's… nice to see you…" she tried to sound normal. The three noticed that Jamila would not move away from the door; something definitely was wrong.

"Doc! Let us in, will ya? We didn't come all this way just to talk to you from out here!" Tabitha smiled and laughed; hers was fake as well but she knew how to make it pass for authentic. J'onn noticed that Jamila quickly scanned outside and reluctantly let the three in. Tabitha noticed that the house was quiet for it to be afterschool for the children.

"So… how you been? Introduce me to your new friend…" Jamila eyed J'onn. The four made their way into the kitchen and Jamila sat down.

"This… is Steve. He's an old friend from high school. Studying physics right now and I told him about you. He's thinking about transferring…"

"Maybe it'll be best for him. _J'onn, I'm sorry; I'm so sorry! I had no other choice! _You must've filled his head up with tall tales about me…"

"She talks about you constantly; I had to see what the hypewas all about! _Dr. Lindsey, what's going on? Where are your children? Who forced you to make the IDs?_"

"There's no hype; I'm just an ordinary professor! _They took them; they took my babies! I don't know who the guy was; he told me that I wouldn't see them again if I didn't do it! Please, J'onn… help me! He said that I would get them back when the job was complete; I haven't heard from him in hours! Whoever it is, they knew I had connections to Watchtower; they bugged my house just in case Justice League came here! J'onn…_" tears streamed down Jamila's face as she looked at the three, _"I'll understand if you don't want nothing to do with me; please… just find my babies…"_

_"We'll find them, Jamila. Where's your husband? _Well, I'm willing to learn more from an ordinary professor that my old friend can't stop talking about!" J'onn said. Jamila wiped her tears away.

"We can talk some more at the campus. _He's upstairs. They beat him up but physically, he's fine. _The semester is almost over but you'd need to go ahead and get all of your paperwork out the way if you're transferring."

"Thank you, Dr. Lindsey. I'll do just that. _I'm going to go through your house and find a bug; maybe it'll give us a clue on where to search for your children. Don't worry about me being upset with you… you're forgiven…" _J'onn looked dead at Jamila. She slightly nodded. Tabitha had wished once again that she knew how to read minds. J'onn looked at her, "_Whoever planned the intrusion took the children hostage. They did it so to force Jamila into making the fake IDs. _Maybe we should stick around for a bit; you two look like you need to catch up on some things. _I'm taking John with me to look for a couple of bugs in the house."_ he told her. Tabitha's eyes widened at first, narrowed at the thought of someone wanting to harm the children but then nodded. Out of instinct, she grabbed Jamila's hand and squeezed it; the gesture made Jamila produce even more tears. J'onn looked at John and the two left the room. Tabitha sat down at the table with Jamila and continued to hold her hand. She mouthed, "Are you alright?" at her best friend and Jamila immediately shook her head. She squeezed Tabitha's hand as more tears came out. It was enough for Tabitha to come around and hug her.

John was scanning the living room and immediately found a bug that was placed behind one of Jamila's pictures. J'onn became invisible and retrieved it. The two returned to the kitchen and J'onn showed Tabitha the transmitter.

_"Won't that tip them off that it was tampered with?" _Tabitha looked at J'onn. He shook his head.

_"The place has so many; they wouldn't even miss it. Let's get this analyzed as quickly as possible."_ he told her, "Dr. Lindsey; I'm sorry but I have to get going. Lost track of time! But, I will get everything done as soon as possible." J'onn smiled at Jamila. She gave him a weak smile as Tabitha looked at Jamila.

"Sorry to cut this short, doc; I'm his ride!"

"It's fine. Steve… I hope to see you in my class next semester…" Jamila looked at J'onn. He smiled as Tabitha got up.

"Count on it! _We'll get your children back, Jamila… trust me…" _J'onn surprised everyone when he hugged her. The three left the home and looked at each other.

"I can't even imagine what she's going through…" John shook his head. Tabitha took a deep breath to hold in all of her emotions and tears.

"Tabitha and I are closer to the Lindsey family than anyone else in the league; we'll handle this mission." J'onn assured John. He nodded and was transported back to Watchtower. Tabitha was about to slightly smile at the fact that this would be their first official mission together. Then, she was reminded of what he had done to her; the mind tampering. Her feelings of hurt and betrayal resurfaced and she shot a look at J'onn.

"Go back to Watchtower and find out where that bug was manufactured from; I'm saving the triplets on my own…" she surprised J'onn. He shot a look at her.

"You don't have to play hero…"

"You don't know the Lindsey family like I do; this has nothing to do with you. The only thing I need from you is information…" she gave him a look.

"I don't know what's wrong exactly… but I don't think you know what you're dealing with. I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not." he looked dead at Tabitha. She huffed and looked the other way.

"Fine."

One thing Tabitha was glad for was that J'onn was a great detective; he quickly found out where the electronic bugs were manufactured and tracked down the address of the person who made the massive order. J'onn looked at Tabitha before they infiltrated the home.

"It could be possible that the Annihilator is in there. We have to be prepared…"

"They wouldn't be that stupid to have that thing around the kids…"

"… They were insane enough to sneak onto Watchtower to steal it…" J'onn pointed out. No matter how upset she was with him, she had to admit that he was right: anyone dumb enough to sneak onto Watchtower was very unpredictable. Tabitha sighed and nodded.

"Tell you what, then; you handle the bad guys and I'll get the kids out." Tabitha was about to leave. J'onn grabbed her arm, made her look at him and gave her a subtle kiss.

"Get the children to safety… no matter what…" he looked dead at her. Tabitha could only nod as the two silently made their way inside the home. It surprised both of them that not only was the home unarmed but there were no signs of any "bad guys". J'onn searched the second floor of the home while Tabitha stayed on the first floorWhen she found nothing, she was about to go upstairs to help J'onn, "_They're in the basement; I'm talking to them right now…"_he told her. She franticly looked around for a door but every one she encountered led to either a closet or a pantry. What was she missing, she thought. Tabitha finally took notice of the rug in the middle of the living room. It was normal-looking enough… except there was a slight rise in the middle. Tabitha snatched the rug back and revealed a door with a latch. She tore at the latch and ran down the stairs. In the middle of the room, tied up but unharmed were Dr. Lindsey's children. The triplets' eyes brightened when they saw her and Tabitha couldn't help but to let a few tears drop.

"Trips…" she carefully undid the tape around Jamil's mouth.

"Miss Tabitha!" he couldn't help himself. J'onn came down and helped free the other two. Jamil gave Tabitha a huge hug and was immediately followed by Solonia and A.C.

"Are you guys okay?" Tabitha asked through tears. The three nodded.

"Miss Tabitha, I **knew** you'd come to save us!" A.C. told her.

"What took you so long?!" Solonia asked and Tabitha had to laugh. She smoothed the little girl's hair back and looked at her.

"We ran into a few of the bad guys up in space. Come on; let's get you guys home…"

"Is momma and daddy okay?" Jamil asked.

"Yes. They're fine. They're really worried about you three, though. Let's get out of here before the bad guys come back." J'onn said and the five quickly left. He figured that whoever these people were, they had retrieved what they had wanted; seeing that the children were gone wouldn't cause any retaliation.

The five didn't have to approach the door before it swung open and the parents rushed to greet their children. Jamila was finally able to let her sobs out; sobs that had been built in since she discovered that her children were gone. She kissed and hugged her children tight.

"I'm sorry; mommy's so sorry! I should have never let anything happen to you three…"

"It wasn't your fault…" Albert put a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"He's right, doc; they were just very, very bad people and wanted to make sure that your mom did as she was told." Tabitha looked at the triplets. Jamila shot a look up at J'onn and Tabitha.

"Thank you. Thank you so much! I'm so sorry! I… I owe you so much… I don't know what…"

"Don't worry about it. I'll have a couple of members keep watch on your home, just in case they try to come back."

"After I'm done with the repairs, I'll take over watching the house; get three members to keep watch on them until we're certain they won't hurt them, again…" Tabitha didn't look at J'onn. He slightly sighed.

"Okay. Stay out here while we remove the remainder of the bugs from the house." J'onn told the family. He dragged Tabitha into the house with him by her arm, "_Let's remove these devices and then we need to talk…"_ he glanced at Tabitha before they searched the house for the bugs. It took them almost thirty minutes to clear the home and ended up in the guest bedroom, the same one that served as Tabitha's room. J'onn just looked at Tabitha as anger finally showed on her face. She willed herself to look at him, "Tabitha…"

"No, you're right; we **do **need to talk!"

"If this is about me not telling you about my regenera…"

"This has nothing to do with that! How many times have you tampered with my mind?" Tabitha felt that the only way to handle things would to just be straight forward with things. J'onn sighed.

"Tabitha…"

"Cuz, I can count at least twice since we've known each other! Why in the hell would you erase a memory from me?! I understood making me sleep through an alarm or even teaching me something but you erased a memory!" she glared at him. For the first time in his existence, J'onn silently cursed at himself; how could he have been so careless as to shift into the beast that he had wiped away from her mind?

"Tabitha… I can explain…"

"You know what? I don't want to hear it! When I lost my memory… you had **plenty **of time to tell me what you did and why! But, you're so quick to hide the fact that we're together!"

"That isn't fair to throw that in my face…"

"But mind raping me is fair?! I was unaware that I was on the list of the humans that you don't trust!"

"That isn't true! Tabitha…"

"Being with you… I don't know what's true, anymore. You made me sleep through an alarm, you erased a memory; what's stopped you from doing more?! Did you trick me to fall in love with you? Cuz, right now… after all that you've done to me, after how you've treated our relationship… that's the only way I can see why I've stayed for so long!" it hurt Tabitha to even think that. J'onn gave her a look of surprise.

"How can you say that? I would never manipulate you to do something like that! Would you just let me…"

"Right; because J'onn J'onzz doesn't care how others perceive him. Let's face it: you're never gonna tell me if you've ever tampered with my mind more than what I know of. You can't trust most humans but tell me; how the hell can anyone trust **you** knowing what you can do?" a tear rolled down Tabitha's cheek. She stopped looking at J'onn; she couldn't do it anymore, especially after what she thought next.

"Tabitha… what are you saying?" he was actually afraid of the answer. Another tear rolled down her face and Tabitha looked at J'onn.

"I… I can't trust you, J'onn. And, if I can't trust you… why am I with you? Until you show me that I can trust you, maybe… maybe it's time for a break from each other…" she almost couldn't get the words out. Tabitha turned to leave but J'onn grabbed her hands.

"Tabitha!" he tried. He needed for her to look at him; she had to see the desperation in his eyes. He admitted; he messed up, big time but he didn't think it was worth breaking up over. All she had to do was let him explain; she would understand everything.

Tabitha snatched away from him, shaking her head.

"I'm moving to Metro Tower." was all she could say before leaving the room. J'onn just stared at the closed door.

"… But… I love you…"


	24. Walking Away

Chapter Twenty-Three: Walking Away

No one was surprised when Tabitha made the decision to move from Watchtower to Metro Tower; after everything settled back down and the repairs were completed, she was formally initiated as the new Monitor for Metro Tower. The old her would have looked at the promotion with a smile on her face, knowing deep down that she deserved it. But, this was the new Tabitha, the wiser Tabitha… the heartbroken Tabitha. Her being Monitor of Metro Tower meant that she had to be a partner to the Monitor of Watchtower, something that would be really awkward because of their recent break in their romantic relationship.

Because no one knew about their relationship, the two had to pretend that everything was normal. She was a bit let down that it seemed so easy for J'onn; he had reverted quickly back to before he had confessed his feelings for her. It was almost as if it didn't bother him as he continued to train her extensively on the controls of Metro Tower. As for her, she found it easier to keep her lightning abilities at bay than her tears.

However, it was much harder on J'onn than he led her to think. For the first time in centuries, he was suffering. It pained him to be near Tabitha every day and not being able to kiss her, even if it was in secret. To keep from going insane, he **had **to force himself to act like he was just fine being her friend. No; they were not even that anymore: they were simply Justice League members.

He had never been in a situation like this before; he had no idea what she meant by "taking a break" from their relationship. Did she mean that literally? And if she did… how long would this "break" last? How was he to prove to her that he could be trusted when she wouldn't even let him talk about anything other than Justice League business? It was at that time that J'onn wished he didn't keep their relationship a secret; he needed a human man's advice!

"… J'onn?" Diana's voice took him out of his thoughts. He stopped staring out into space and looked at her, "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine; why do you ask?"

"You've been really… distant lately." she tried to find the right words. Ever since the infiltration incident of Watchtower, she had noticed a slight change in him. Before Tabitha came along, he had always been silent but made his presence known nonetheless. She was happy that he had finally become attached to the newest member; Tabitha had brought out a more social side of the Martian. Now that she was gone, however, he had seemed to not only revert back to his old self but it looked as if he was simply going through the motions of all of his activities. Diana had a clue on what the real problem was; just like the rest of the league who had chosen to stay on Watchtower, he missed Tabitha. She didn't blame J'onn; the two were always together.

He looked back out into space, simply staring at Earth. He wondered what Tabitha was doing at that moment and if she even thought about him as much as he thought about her.

"Just thinking…" he forced himself to respond. Diana simply sighed and joined him.

"It's going to be pretty quiet without her here… isn't it?" she volunteered. He looked at Diana; did she know about their relationship as well? Before he answered, she looked at him and smiled, "I know how close you two are. And, it's not like she left the league. You look as if you just watched your child go off to college." she said. The metaphor made J'onn smile a little; he was simply glad that Diana didn't have a clue about how close he and Tabitha really were!

"It feels like that. I guess I'm more worried about if I trained her enough." he half admitted. It was a worry of his but before, he had chalked it up as just being so used to having Tabitha right there by his side; if anything went wrong or if she didn't understand something, he was right there to help.

"She'll be fine. Metro Tower is much smaller than Watchtower. Plus, you saw how well she handled things while we were away; being Metro Tower's Monitor would be no problem for her! J'onn… I think you've been cooped up in here for far too long."

"I don't understand…"

"When was the last time you left Watchtower?" she looked at him seriously. He was about to answer but realized that no one knew about him spending Christmas with Tabitha and her family. Would she suspect something if he had told her about his trip? And seeing that they were no longer together… why did he still care? Diana simply nodded, "That's what I thought! Maybe what you need is a change of scenery. And not just relocating to Metro Tower; a vacation. See the world; observe real human life. One can only withstand being cooped up here for so long before going crazy; even Tabitha visits Earth ever so often! I know that you're not too keen on humans but… you'd be surprised by how many really have good hearts…" Diana tried to coax. Maybe she was right, he thought. Everywhere he went on Watchtower, he was reminded of Tabitha. And, he couldn't relocate to a place where her presence would definitely be felt! J'onn knew that he would always think about her but maybe if he took away the factors that reminded him so much of her, it would be less painful.

"That is something to think about."

"Good. But don't think… do…"

* * *

"Oh my fucking God; I think you finally lost it! Tabs…" Jamila stared at her best friend as they sat in her kitchen, "Why would you do something like that?!"

"I didn't come here to get chastised like a child, doc…" Tabitha looked down at her glass. Jamila finally stopped pacing and sat down across from her.

"What did he do that was so horrible?! No… this **had **to be all your fault…" Jamila shook her head. She looked at Jamila wide-eyed.

"Wait… why would it be my fault?!"

"Because he wouldn't do anything to make anyone break up with him! Let's see; the main reasons for a breakup: cheating… yeah, right; who would he cheat on you with… wait… are there any other women in Justice League?!"

"Diana, Shayera, Kara, Vixen, Black Canary…"

"Okay, okay; whatever! I just can't see him cheating on you! Back to the list: being a bum; J'onn J'onzz is a fucking superhero, he **founded **the damn league for Christ sakes!"

"Doc…" Tabitha held her head in her hands.

"I'm not done! Maybe he lied. No; I can't even imagine J'onn lying about anything! Is he gay? If you tell me he's gay, I'm gonna go kill myself right now!"

"Doc, stop; just stop it!" Tabitha was near tears. Jamila looked at her and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Tabs. I mean, you come in here and tell me that you and J'onn broke up; how else was I supposed to react? What happened?"

"He… gaddamnit, he erased a memory!" it angered her all over again. Jamila could do nothing but look at her.

"Oh, Tabs… I'm so sorry. But… maybe he had a reason to…"

"Why are you siding with him?! How would you like it if someone you thought cared about you erase a fucking memory from your mind?! Let's not get into the fact that he won't tell anyone about you or that he's used his ability on you before and God knows how many other times!" she yelled. Jamila just sat there and waited until she had stopped trying to hold back her tears; she let a few drop before angrily wiping at them. She gently grabbed her hands.

"… I would be just as upset… but… I would know that if they went through that much to erase a memory, then they cared for me more than I ever thought they would." Jamila carefully explained. Tabitha looked at her.

"I… don't understand. How could you say something like that?"

"Look: I ain't gonna sit here and lie and say that I understand why he didn't tell anyone else that you two were dating. But, if no one else caught on by now, they're fucking idiots because it's obvious that he loves you!"

"If he loves me then… why? Why do something like that?"

"Because… he's a Martian, sweetie! Hang around him long enough and you tend to overlook that little detail! I'm not saying that I know J'onn better than you do but I know enough to know that he's still trying to get used to being in a relationship, again. You gotta remember he's not a middle-aged man; he's gotta be at least a couple of centuries old! I don't know what memory he erased… but I'm guessing that it had to be one that he didn't want haunting you for the rest of your life. That in itself says a lot. Hell; I wish he could erase a few memories from my mind like that!" Jamila actually laughed at the idea. Tabitha looked at her and then down to her hands.

"So, you're saying that… I might've overreacted a little bit?"

"A little bit?! I'm pretty sure he's confused as shit right about now! He isn't used to all this so, he might've just did things he thought was natural. It probably was a little unorthodox but… I'm pretty sure he meant well." Jamila explained. Tabitha just huffed and got up from the table. Maybe the professor was right; maybe all of the mind control was just his way of showing that he cared. When he made her sleep through the alarm, he only did so because he wanted to be absolutely sure she would be out of harm's way. Tabitha also had to be truthful to herself; the only thing that really made her upset was the fact that J'onn absentmindedly reminded her of why she was too afraid of attacking his brother. She would've been just fine not remembering that horrid figure for the rest of her life.

Why didn't she simply listen to him when he was trying to explain himself? It wasn't like her to not hear things out, especially now that she had overcome her issues with rage. She really couldn't explain it: she overthought the things that frustrated her about their relationship and just… snapped. Now that she had time to calm down and actually listen to her best friend's advice, Tabitha felt silly for her overreacted outburst… as well as sorry to had confused J'onn in that way. Taking the advice from someone who was on the outside looking in, Tabitha knew for sure that Jamila was right: J'onn did love her. And… she loved him.

"I gotta go."

"Are you gonna do what I think you're gonna do?" Jamila couldn't help but to smile. Tabitha sighed and nodded.

"I'm gonna buy some Oreos… and apologize…"

* * *

J'onn was actually glad that Tabitha was nowhere to be found; he didn't want to break her heart yet again. He called for all of the Justice League members so that he could tell them all goodbye. Diana was right; he needed to see the world and examine humans more. More importantly… he needed time to get over Tabitha. It had been clear in her voice that their relationship was over with; maybe they both needed time away from each other. This time away could do them some good, and he would have the time to realize what he needed to do to regain her trust. The one person he couldn't fool was himself: he wasn't going to throw in the towel on their relationship so easily. He loved her, almost as more as he had loved his wife; he was going to do whatever it took to get her back in his arms. While receiving farewells from the other members, he couldn't help but to think about it. He would miss the others but he would especially miss his Tabitha; yes, even if it took him years to return, she would always be his. As he left Watchtower and made his way down to Earth, he shifted into a random human form. He looked up in the sky and wondered how long it would take for him to find the answers he needed. I will be back, he thought as he silently slipped into the crowd of people.

* * *

Seeing that Tabitha was Monitor, she was able to teleport back and forth between Metro Tower and Watchtower without informing anyone. She had hoped that it wasn't too late to apologize to J'onn so that they could get back on track with their relationship. As she materialized on the platform on Watchtower, she slightly smiled down at the white plastic bag; it was full of Oreos. Her smile immediately left when she saw who was over the controls of Watchtower.

"… Mr. Terrific? What… what are you doing here?" she looked at the dark skinned man. His real name was Michael Holt; Tabitha had seen him a few times aboard Watchtower and had been told that he was the second smartest person in the world (she had a feeling that J'onn was the overall smartest but he never confirmed nor denied it). After being named Monitor of Metro Tower, she was also told that had J'onn not took the time to train her, the job was more likely going to him.

Michael smiled at her at first but was slightly taken aback at her question. When she was announced Monitor, he had no problem with it; he knew that J'onn was specifically training her to actually be his successor. The only thing he wanted to know was why she had been picked; he had long suspected that the Martian had grown a little too fond of her and wanted to protect her at all costs. Being named Monitor all but guaranteed that. Because of the apparent fondness J'onn had shown Tabitha, Michael was surprised that he had left without telling her.

"Miss Lyght…"

"Tabitha…" she quickly corrected him.

"Only if you call me Michael. I was wondering why you weren't here yesterday."

"Yesterday? Oh… I was visiting my friend. What happened yesterday? Where's J'onn?" she asked, approaching him. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to like the answer and tried to prepare herself for the news.

"He's… gone." he saw the start of despair in her eyes. She tried to hide the shock in her eyes but failed.

"Gone? What do you mean, gone? Like, left Watchtower gone or…" she couldn't even force herself to finish. The fear that had started in her stomach had climbed into her throat.

"He took a leave of absence. I'm as surprised as you are that he didn't tell you." he could tell that she was near tears by the sudden glistening of her eyes. Tabitha looked away, begging herself not to let Michael see her cry. What did he mean, a leave of absence; why would J'onn leave without telling her, Tabitha's own voice screamed inside of her head. True, they were no longer together but even at her most angry state, she at least told him of her plans; he **knew **where she would be!

She wanted to shake her head. No; this was a joke, she told herself. It was an elaborate prank, something to get Tabitha to make up with J'onn. As soon as she thought that, she sadly realized that he was not capable of pulling pranks, especially something this extreme. He would've done something more simpler… like ask for her forgiveness.

"We all said goodbye yesterday…" Michael continued softly. Her eyes slightly widened at his comment. All the anger that she had felt when she learned of the memory erase came back tenfold. Not only had he tampered with her mind, he decided to leave without telling her, she fumed. Not only that, but she was the **only **Justice League member he didn't say goodbye to!

"I guess… I missed out…" she tried to keep her anger and other emotions at bay.

"… Is there any particular reason why you're the only one he didn't say goodbye to?" Michael wanted to know. If they were more than friends, more than team members, why was she the only one who didn't know that J'onn had left?

To his disappointment, she sighed and shook her head.

"I have no idea why I was left out. Maybe I'm too new of a member for him to concern himself with. I think I left a few personal belongings in my room…" she rushed and left before Michael could say anything.

She rushed down the hall and instead of going to her room, she went to J'onn's. She had entered his security code and was actually surprised that it wouldn't take. The one thing J'onn told her was his security code, which not only gave her access to his room but to other areas that were deemed unauthorized. As quickly as he left, his code had been reset. Without thinking, she gave the security pad a quick zap, shorting it out. She went inside and finally let her tears fall. He was gone; the room was completely empty. This was no played out prank: J'onn J'onzz had left the Justice League… and Tabitha.

~The End~

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much for reading this! I appreciate everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to do so!


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